SASANIAN 4TH CENTURY A.D. SILVER-GILT PLATE FEATURING A KING ON AN OSTRICH HUNT FOR SALE AT BONHAMS FOR AN ESTIMATED £150,000 to £250,000 Our Coverage Sponsored by Stribling and Associates
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A breathtaking 1,600 year old silver-gilt plate estimated to sell for £250,000 is one of the top lots in Bonhams next sale of Antiquities on 3rd April in London.
The plate, decorated in relief, shows a king thought to be Hormizd II from the area known today as Iran, mounted on a horse while hunting ostriches or great bustards. The plate weighs close to a kilo. It is estimated to sell for £150,000-250,000.
Royal hunting scenes were an important motif in Sasanian art, depicting kings and the royal family as gloriously-attired, and full of vigour and skill. Many of these gilded silver plates show similar scenes of kings hunting boar, rams, stags and lions. The representation of an ostrich or bustard however is extremely rare.
The bird-headed crown with wings is most frequently associated with Hormizd II and this plate shows the king wearing a specific crown of a winged eagle with two pearls in its mouth. Hormizd II wears such a crown on many of his coins and is also shown wearing a similar crown on the equestrian relief at Naqsh-e Rustam.
It is possible that the plate is meant to depict Hormizd II as a young prince, as he is shown without his usual beard and with straight hair reminiscent of his father Narseh's style. Sasanian crown princes are often shown without beards.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com.
