Loading, please wait...
LOT 0367
'The Harling' Medieval Bronze Handled Posnet Cauldron
14TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/2 - 12 5/8 in. (3.1 kg total, 3.8-32 cm).
Shaped as a small cauldron with a long curved handle decorated with five incuse circles extending from the rim to the swan-head finial and with loop handle beneath; spherical body, slightly oblate at the base with an everted rim and casting seams, three splayed stub legs with ribbed profile; offered with objects recovered from the same archaeological context: a struck flint flake; two bone fragments; a fragment of pottery. [5]
ProvenanceLocated whilst searching with a metal detector and archaeologically excavated by Norfolk Archaeology Unit, near Harling, Norfolk, UK, on Wednesday 8th November 2023.
Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.NMS-C1D619 which includes a photograph of the cauldron in situ before excavation.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12165-219623.
Exhibited at the Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 19th June-9th September 2024; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefacts on display.
LiteratureA similar compete vessel is recorded on PAS database as LVPL-73F49, dated between 14th-16th century.
FootnotesBronze cauldrons played a role in ritual practices in the Middle Ages and beyond. It appears that many of the bronze cauldrons have been deliberately deposited, although the reasons for this were not always clear. There are strong indications that this often took place at the beginning of a large-scale project. This may have been the construction of a castle or a rampart, of a city wall, the building of a dyke, a dangerous crossing of the sea, the cultivation of a piece of farmland or the reclamation of a peat bog. For all types of projects, salvation and blessing could be requested in the form of a deliberate deposit of a bronze cauldron. This custom is directly comparable with the Medieval ritual of placing coins under the foundation stone of a building.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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.
LOT 0367
'The Harling' Medieval Bronze Handled Posnet Cauldron
Sold for (Inc. bp): £8,450
-
Medieval Period Decorated Silver Signet Ring
Circa 14th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
With broad hoop and stud to underside, disc bezel with low-relief geometric lozenge motif on a hatched field. 3.49 grams, 19.12 mm overall, 15.95 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J 1/2, USA 5, Europe 9.32, Japan 9)
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. -
Medieval Period Decorated Silver Signet Ring
Circa 13th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
With reserved lozenges on a hatched field, carnated section, scaphoid bezel with reserved panel on foliage field, possibly Ottoman or Eastern Mediterranean. 3.74 grams, 21.89 mm overall, 17.68 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O 1/2, USA 7 1/4, Europe 15.61, Japan 15)
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. -
Medieval Stone Holy Water Font
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Squat in profile with foliage and scrolls to the sidewall, deep bowl and pouring lip. 6.25 kg, 28 cm wide
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
