£10,000
AN IMPORTANT GROUP OF LIMOGES CHAMPLEVE ENAMEL GEMELLIONS FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION.
Limoges patinated gilt-copper and polychrome champlevé enamel gemellion, circa 1200-1250, of shallow circular form, decorated with an equestrian figure and attendant to the centre, reserved on a scroll pattern ground within a circular cartouche, within a border of four panels with pairs of figures and animals, including an archer, a musician and a stag hunt, flanked by scrollwork and alternating with foliate motifs, the border pierced with six small apertures for a spout (now lacking), the reverse engraved with a central flowerhead roundel with ribbons terminating in fleur-de-lys, 22.8cm diam.
Provenance
By repute Hever Castle, Kent and thence by descent to the present owner.
The central equestrian figure is very likely to depict a knight, holding what could be a shield. Similar central scenes appear on many other documented gemellion; see the example from the Wolf Collection, sold at Bonhams, London, 25 April, 2018, lot 21 and another with similar figures to the border sold at Sotheby’s, London, 9 July 2009. Similar figural depictions including that of an archer, musician and closely related hunting scenes can be seen on the gemellion in the collection of the National Archaeological Museum, Madrid, which depicts the crowning of Erec, Knight of the Round Table. Both the hunting scenes and the poses of the figures on the border of this lot are also closely related to the medallions on the Coffret de Saint Louis see M. Gauthier, B Barriere et. al., Enamels of Limoges 1100-1350, The Metropolitan Museum, New York, 1996, Cat. no. 123, pp. 360-363.
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