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Large Egyptian Bronze Wepwawet Amulet
Third Intermediate-Late Period, 1069-332 B.C.Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (‡+bp*)
Showing the jackal deity Wepwawet standing with ears pricked on a sledge, the slender body modelled with long legs and a tail, suspension loop on the back; two rearing cobras before the jackal; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 54 grams, 91 mm (162 grams total, 11.7 cm including stand )
Ex Dr R. and Mrs L.B., Zumikon, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12627-236406.
Wepwawet, meaning "Opener of the Ways," was an ancient Egyptian god associated primarily with warfare, protection, and funerary practices. Depicted as a jackal or a man with a jackal's head—often mistaken for Anubis—Wepwawet was believed to guide souls through the afterlife and open paths both in battle and in the spiritual realm. He originated in Asyut (ancient Lycopolis) in Upper Egypt and was one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon, with worship dating back to at least the First Dynasty (c. 3100–2900 BCE). Over time, Wepwawet became closely linked to Anubis, and the two were sometimes conflated, though Wepwawet retained his distinct identity as a god who preceded and cleared the way. In military contexts, Wepwawet was invoked to "open the way" for pharaohs and armies, ensuring victory and safe passage. In funerary texts, he was described as clearing the path to the afterlife, acting as a scout or guide for the deceased. -
Greek Black-Figure Kylix with Warriors and Sphinxes
Attic, circa 530 B.C.Estimate: £9,000 - 12,000 (+bp*)
Comprising: a broad shallow bowl with two loop handles curving up towards the rim, short stem and broad foot with chamfered outer edge; the bowl with reserved central disc to inner face, palmette motifs at the junctions of the handles, frieze depicting two standing nude males flanking a crouching sphinx in profile; restored and with old dealer's labels beneath base. 414 grams, 27.3 cm wide
Ex Prof. F.S., Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, 1991. with Gallery Drees Archeo S.P.R.L., Brussels. Acquired from the above, 16 December 2017. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00041086. Accompanied by a Gallery Drees Archeo certificate of authenticity. Accompanied by a thermoluminescence report no.0102 0910 from Laboratory Ralf Kotalla, 6 September 2010. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12945-246388. -
Large Hellenistic Teano-Ware Fish Plate
Early 3rd century B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Broad face with incised rings outlining the painted border of running vinescroll in red and white; with a shallow central socket outlined in red, broad carinated rim and low foot. 834 grams, 26.5 cm
Acquired at Auction, London, UK, 1990s, no.233. Private collection, Suffolk, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant catalogue page.
'Teano ware' is a type of ceramic produced in the late 4th century to the early 3rd century BC. Its modern name derives from Teanum Sidicinum, in northern Campania, the main centre of production. White and red pigment was used for the painted decoration on the black surface. It was probably used for votive or funerary purposes. -
Chalcidian Terracotta Amphora Attributed to the Phineus Painter
525 B.C.Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 (‡+bp*)
Piriform body with splayed foot and narrow handles; the neck with slender lotus blossoms and palmettes, Side A) two opposing roosters with a lotus blossom in between, two standing swans flanking, below a youth on horseback holding the reins of a trotting horse, a man and a woman behind the horse; Side B) a grazing deer before an advancing panther looking back, two opposing sphinxes below with their heads turned back and front paws raised. 1.06 kg, 28 cm
Ex Münzen und Medaillen A.G., H. Cahn, Basel, 13 April 1985. Private collection, Bern, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12643-236366. -
Greek Attic Red-Figure Squat Lekythos Attributed to the Meidian Painter
Circa 420-400 B.C.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (‡+bp*)
Comprising a bulbous body with narrow neck and handle to the rear; radiating petals on the neck with a band of volute scrolls below, the body showing a female in a dynamic pose, dressed in an elaborate long dress and holding a plate of fruit with her left hand, a seated female before her; attributed to the Meidian Painter; some restoration. 95 grams, 10.9 cm
Ex Prof. Dr Hans (1918-1984) and Dr Ines (1922-2013) Jucker, classical archaeologists, Bern, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12645-236462.
Dancing women are a characteristic of the Meidian Painter. They are depicted as young women, wearing Doric costumes, earrings, pearls surmounting diadems, and golden bracelets, holding a patera and (probably originally here too) a thimiaterion. -
Greek Terracotta White-Ground Painted Lekythos Attributed to the Athena Painter
Circa 510-500 B.C.Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 (‡+bp*)
Cylindrical with stepped foot, five palmettes above the shoulder, dynamic frieze of two men visiting two hetairai, each of the figures dressed in long pleated garments, at the centre of the scene, a hetaira on the right reaching towards the bearded male and gently touching his chin with her open hand, a tall draped table behind her with an amphora underneath and a standing bird on the top. 459 grams, 26.4 cm
H.A.C. (Herbert A. Cahn), 19 October 1979. Private collection, Bern, Switzerland. Accompanied by an original thermoluminescence analysis report no.N125q45 by Oxford Authentication. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12644-236376.
The Athena Painter is known as the painter who designed several Greek black-figure pottery works using the 5th-century BC white-ground technique. He specialized in lekythoi and refers to Athena as his main subject in his works. Together with the Theseus Painter, they continued the tradition of painting large lekythoi. His black figures are of high quality, and in addition to lekythoi, he decorated other potteries such as oenochoai. Some archaeologists say that he may have been the same person as the Bowdoin Painter of red-figure pottery, although they may have just worked in the same workshop. -
Monumental Early Etruscan Impasto Kyathos
7th century B.C.Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (‡+bp*)
Fluted body tapering to a narrow foot, the shoulders decorated with tiered bosses, short neck with flared mouth; wide handle perforated with a triangle. 1.18 kg, 25 cm wide
Estate of Mr Bruno Fellinger (1926-2016), Küsnacht, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12648-236390.
Buccheroid impasto is the name attributed by modern archaeologists to wheel thrown pottery. The clay in these specimens is less refined, and the firing techniques less precise than in the later bucchero ware. -
Late Hellenistic-Early Roman Gemstone, Gold and Glass Bead Necklace
Circa 2nd century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (+bp*)
Restrung necklace with oval semi-precious stones and gold-domed appliqués; double strand of Roman spherical blue glass beads, varying in hues and tones, and to the top of each strand a single appliqué with a gold discoid plaque set with a garnet polished stone to the left and a vibrant green aventurine stone to the right; a double-domed appliqué behind each small plaque, and a larger discoid set with crystal on the left and pale amethyst to the right; central prominent chalcedony set discoid. 43 grams total, 44 cm including clasp
Acquired on the UK art market prior to 2000. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12947-246339. -
Etruscan Carnelian Scarab of a Charioteer in a Later Gold Ring
3rd century B.C.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (+bp*)
Opaque scaraboid engraved with a dynamic scene of a charioteer driving a biga with his whip raised; set in a sheet-gold mount and a later swivel ring. 4.26 grams, 25.07 mm overall, 17.77 x 16.22 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)
Private English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12948-245985. -
Roman Gold Pendant with Onyx Cameo
2nd century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Comprising a gold medallion and high-relief onyx cameo with female bust in profile facing right, the lower half of her face absent; the jawline and long neck finely carved, hair gathered in a low bun, drapery of the dress framing her face below; set within a gold sleeve and framed by a delicate border with a petal motif; gold loop for suspension. 4.03 grams, 26.90 mm
From the collection of a Cambridge lady, 1990s. -
Iberian Bronze Statuette of Youth
6th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (‡+bp*)
Youthful male standing, wearing a belted tunic with apron, arms spread wide, barefoot, bare-headed with short textured hair; mounted on a custom-made base. 215 grams total, 11.8 cm high including stand
Private collection, Paris, France, assembled in the 1950s-1960s. with Tessier-Sarrou & Associés, Paris, 2015. European private collection. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00107108. Accompanied by a copy of French cultural export passport no.167803. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12650-264612. -
Hellenistic Bronze Furniture Mount with Mime Actor
Alexandria, 1st century B.C.Estimate: £700 - 900 (‡+bp*)
Modelled with large prominent ears and neatly cut short hair, rounded facial detailing with large eyes and flattened nose, the upper body and hands wrapped inside a pleated cloak, hollow to the reverse; the bust emerging from a lotus flower resting atop a lion's claw foot with a mounting spike on the reverse; mounted on a display stand. 130 grams total, 11.9 cm including stand
Collection of Ambassador G.P., nr.126, before 1965. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland.