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919 - BYZANTINE LITURGICAL GILT-BRONZE SITULA WITH CHRIST AND ANIM…

Estimate £9,000 - £18,000

Description

BYZANTINE LITURGICAL GILT-BRONZE SITULA WITH CHRIST AND ANIMALS. Ca. AD 400 - 500. A gilt-bronze situla with a broad mouth, a deep rounded body, a flaring foot, and a swing handle attached at opposed side lugs, decorated with vine scrolls and clustered pellets, with a saltire at the centre. The exterior is encircled by bands of scrolling vine ornament at the shoulder, lower body, and foot. The main frieze is gilt-inlaid with a seated robed figure of Christ holding a staff, seated on a pile of rocks and set between two palm trees within a landscape populated by various animals and birds, including a sheep, a pair of hounds, a bear, a goat, a frog, a cockerel, a hen, an eagle, a horse, a lioness, a snake, a rabbit, a boar, and a cow, with further birds perched among the branches. On the opposite side is a circular medallion with the Chi-Rho flanked by alpha and omega. Size: 170/260mm x 260mm; Weight: 1kg Provenance: Private London collection; Ex family collection of Mr E.L. (1915-1991), who collected antiquities from the 1940s, thence by descent. Ex J.L. collection, Surrey.. This item has been checked against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.

About the sale FINE ANCIENT ART AND ANTIQUITIES - THE PRINCE COLLECTION

Auction location

Auction time 06/21/2026 at 2:00 PM

Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House