Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0322
'The Alresford' Gold Bronze Age Cordon Adornment
CIRCA 2350-800 B.C.
3 in. (4.73 grams, 73.56 mm).
Rectangular sheet-gold ribbon, plaque or cordon with reeded outer face and plain reverse, mounting hole to each end.
Provenance
Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Alresford, Essex, UK, on Thursday 2nd June 2022 by Peter Wilson.
Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.ESS-71837F.
Accompanied by a copy of the Treasure Act 1996 DCMS object receipt.
Accompanied by a copy of the Report on find of Potential Treasure for H M Coroner from Alresford, Essex.
Accompanied by a copy of the letter from the British Museum disclaiming the Crown's interest in this find with Treasure case reference no.2022T575.
Accompanied by a typed and signed letter from the finder explaining the circumstances of discovery.
Literature
Cf. similar items in the British Museum under accession nos. 1906,1224.1, 1906,1224.2; see Eogan, G., The Accomplished Art. Gold and Gold-Wrkingin Britain and Ireland During the Bronze Age, Oxford, 1994.
Footnotes
The exact purpose of these gold ribbons is unclear although it is very likely that they were used to adorn either personal adornments or tableware. The Rillaton Cup (Royal Collection accession no. RCIN 69742) is one such item made of gold with a corrugated appearance. The strip is rather more substantial than the majority of Bronze Age finds and resembles those found in the Staffordshire Hoard (Fern, C., Dickinson, T. & Webster, L., The Staffordshire Hoard: an Anglo-Saxon Treasure, London, 2019).
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Bronze Age Gold Earring
2nd millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £164
With a tapering round-section penannular hoop and domed disc to the centre. 1.32 grams, 18 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Bronze Age Sacrificed Spectacle Brooch
8th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
The round-section body with incised herringbone and linear decoration; sacrificially unravelled and now forming a large loop with one coiled end. 320 grams, 45 cm wide
UK private collection, 1990s. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman.
The spectacle fibula was widely distributed from the Balkans and northern Greece to southern Italy. Seven variations occur under this type with modifications made to the discs of the fibulae as well as the central connecting device. In the first and second variations the discs are coiled, whereas in the third and fourth the centre of the coil is left open. The figure eight loop also becomes shorter and wider in the fourth variant. -
'The Alresford' Gold Bronze Age Cordon Adornment
Circa 2350-800 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,300
Rectangular sheet-gold ribbon, plaque or cordon with reeded outer face and plain reverse, mounting hole to each end. 4.73 grams, 73.56 mm
Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Alresford, Essex, UK, on Thursday 2nd June 2022 by Peter Wilson. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.ESS-71837F. Accompanied by a copy of the Treasure Act 1996 DCMS object receipt. Accompanied by a copy of the Report on find of Potential Treasure for H M Coroner from Alresford, Essex. Accompanied by a copy of the letter from the British Museum disclaiming the Crown's interest in this find with Treasure case reference no.2022T575. Accompanied by a typed and signed letter from the finder explaining the circumstances of discovery.
The exact purpose of these gold ribbons is unclear although it is very likely that they were used to adorn either personal adornments or tableware. The Rillaton Cup (Royal Collection accession no. RCIN 69742) is one such item made of gold with a corrugated appearance. The strip is rather more substantial than the majority of Bronze Age finds and resembles those found in the Staffordshire Hoard (Fern, C., Dickinson, T. & Webster, L., The Staffordshire Hoard: an Anglo-Saxon Treasure, London, 2019).
