Tudor Period Green Glazed Pitcher

The wooden cross set behind glass panels set within a large gold mount, the cross carved to one side with Saint Joseph holding the Christ child, beneath the Dove of the Holy Spirit, flanked by angels and above the praying Virgin; the other side with the crucified Christ, flanked on three sides by angels and above a Nun Saint. 50.7 grams, 81 mm



Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13345-257977.

The tradition of carving tiny devotional wooden reliefs for pendants began in the 16th century and continued throughout the 17th and 18th centuries in Mexico. The carvings were often sent to Spain, where they were mounted in pendants of silver and gold. Relicarios, The Forgotten Jewels of Latin America, by Martha J. Egan: ‘When ivory became difficult to obtain in Europe during the Middle Ages, following the Ottoman conquest of North Africa, European sculptors of miniature works, notably in the Netherlands and northern Europe, found boxwood to be a serviceable substitute. While only items of limited size can be carved in this hard, fine-grained wood, it can be highly polished, its light color is attractive, its density renders it unlikely to split or chip, and when finished, the carved material can resemble ivory.'

Long loop of biconical dark amber coloured beads. 262 grams, 119 cm



Private collection, London, UK.

Portrait of a young woman, her head turned slightly to the right, with an oval face, thin almond-shaped eyes, and a large mouth with full lips; her curly hair arranged above her forehead in a series of rich curls; her clothing consisting of a pink tunic visible at the neck and shoulders; encaustic on wood. 1.73 kg total, 47 x 33.8 cm including frame

Condition In good condition, the painted board has been mounted on to a piece of wood in recent history. The surface has a dirt overlay that is expected with age. Minor losses, affecting the top edge and and left proper edge. Minor losses throughout and one vertical crack runs the length of the wood grain.

Private collection of Dr Fred Olsen (1891-1986) and Mrs Florence Ellen Olsen (née Quittenton, d.1996), Guilford, Connecticut, by at least 1961. Exhibited at 'Coptic Art', The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 5 December 1961-7 January 1962, no.L-380-2, loan number L61.711.

Fayum portraits, painted on wood or linen, applied to the mummies of the Graeco-Roman period, are one of the most wonderful legacies that the koiné of the Graeco-Roman world has left us. Due to the favourable climate enhancing the state of preservation, these encaustic paintings have left us an almost photographic testimony of the faces of the inhabitants of Roman Egypt.