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LOT 0328
'The Scampton' Published Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Florid Cruciform Brooch
6TH CENTURY A.D.
6 3/4 in. (182 grams, 17 cm).
Of Martin's Group 4 with rectangular headplate and florid face-masks to the three edges and conical eyes, deep bow with with square central panel, footplate with square lateral lappets, triangular face-mask finial with conical eyes; pin-lug and catchplate to the reverse; gilded surface abraded.
ProvenanceFound Scampton, Lincolnshire, UK.
From the private collection of Alan Harrison, circa 2000.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11898-204375.
Leahy, K., The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey, Stroud, 2007, pl.7.
LiteratureCf. Martin, T., The Cruciform Brooch and Anglo-Saxon England, Woodbridge, 2015, p.78-9.
FootnotesThe florid type of cruciform brooch stands at the end of the series and probably dates to the middle of the 6th century according to the most recent discussion (Martin, 2015). The present example has a close parallel in the find from Duston, Northamptonshire, which Martin assigns to his Type 4.7.1, among the very last (or most fully developed) group in the seriation. The headplate, bow and footplate each have a square panel of Style I zoomorphic ornament within a thick frame; the headplate features blocks of billeting to three edges and punched triangular ornament on the frame, which also appears on the lateral edges of the finial. The conical eyes on the facing masks are an unusual and very distinctive feature which would have made casting the brooch a technical challenge. There is some evidence for silvering on the flat rectangular surfaces (T-shaped on the headplate and rectangular on the lappets and finial). The openwork masks on the headplate develop into profile bird-heads.
This brooch was recovered by a metal-detectorist in several pieces over a period of some years, and re-assembled. It was published by Leahy in his authoritative work on the Kingdom of Lindsey.
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LOT 0328
'The Scampton' Published Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Florid Cruciform Brooch
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,050
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Large Anglo-Saxon Silvered Bronze Hanging Bowl Mount
Circa 6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
Discoid and hollow to the reverse with raised rim and shallow suspension hook with beast-head facetting; panel of three La Tène spirals and comma-leaf motifs, central void. 25.5 grams, 57 mm
Found near Grimsby, Lincolnshire, UK, circa 2010. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11893-204384.
Bowl mounts in groups of three are believed to have adorned the rim of bronze cauldrons which were used for the public dispensing of beer or mead at feasts. They are usually decorated in a manner which suggests that they were made in the north or northwest of Britain, and were either traded with the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms or, more likely, they formed part of the circulation of prestige goods among leading families in ritualised gift exchange. -
Published Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Great Square-Headed Brooch
6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,640
Of Hines's Group I with border of facing masks to the headplate, two discs within incised frames and raised mask between; shallow bow with three ribs, the median one with a central boss and extending to a small beast-head between the curled horse-head lappets; lozenge-shaped footplate with ropework border and facing bearded mask, lateral lobes and lobe finial with an inverted facing mask; applied silver-sheet detailing to the edges of the footplate; remains of pin-lugs and catch to the reverse. 114 grams, 14.5 cm
Found Scampton, Lincolnshire, UK. From the private collection of Alan Harrison, circa 2000. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11900-204376.
An exact parallel for the Scampton brooch is not known, as is typical for these hand-items made by lost-wax casting processes in one-piece moulds. The brooch falls within Hines's Group I and shares many features with an example from Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire (Hines, 1997, no.13) although the latter has a Style I panel on the headplate whereas the Scampton example features two raised discs within incised squares, a feature also found on finds from Duston (and Linton Heath (Hines, 1997, pl.11)). This brooch was recovered by a metal-detectorist in several pieces over a period of some years, and re-assembled. It was published by Leahy in his authoritative work on the Kingdom of Lindsey. -
Late Anglo-Saxon Prick Spur with Urnes Style Mythical Beast
Circa 1030-1100 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
The T-shaped body with remains of the iron core, each of the arms with a series of three transverse ridges, the shaft with moulded Urnes style zoomorphic decoration comprising scrolling tendrils running down either side, each running up to a coiled projection on either side of the head, possibly depicting ears or horns. 28.9 grams, 55 mm
Found whilst searching with a metal detector near Mundford, Breckland, Norfolk, UK, by R.Humphrys. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme report no.NMS-524F67.
Artefacts such as these are dated to the 11th century and are thought to be Viking in origin, but were widely used by the Anglo-Scandinavians and remained a legacy for the Anglo-Saxon cavalry. Spurs of this type were used probably by the Saxons at the battle of Hastings in 1066.
