A red glass insert of a profile face with remains of a pharaonic crown to the forehead.

A blue-glazed composition amulet in the form of an ibis (representing the god Thoth) seated on a wedge-shaped base, facing a figure of Maat appearing as a diminutive stooping female with an ostrich feather; some details to both figures rendered in a darker blue glaze; suspension loop to the rear of the bird's neck.

A white limestone figure of the god Ptah with false beard, wearing an enveloping cloak and a broad wesekh-collar, holding the shaft of a was sceptre; serene, oval face with almond-shaped eyes and fleshy lips; remnants of dorsal pillar to reverse; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

A spectacular bronze hydria composed of a tapering body, broad shoulder and waisted neck, the everted rim decorated with egg-and-dart motifs, three round-section handles and tiered, ogival foot; professionally restored.

A red-figure terracotta bell-krater displaying polychrome figural panels between a laurel wreath and a band of Greek key motifs; side a) two robed male figures holding staffs, wearing a taenia or a band around the head, standing facing a central altar; side b) a woman wearing a chiton and holding a casket and olive sprig in her outstretched hands, advancing right towards a nude man standing right, his head turned towards her, holding a bucket and olive sprig, a cloak draped over his arm, elaborate volute palmettes beneath both handles; restored.

A free-standing bronze imperial or military eagle terminal from a staff or a sceptre, modelled in the round in a dynamic pose standing on a globe, wings spread, head turned to the right, semi-naturalistic anatomical and feather detailing; the globe bearing an incised eight-armed stylised Macedonian star; sub-triangular lug to back of the neck; collar to globe with hollow underside.

The best example of only three examples of this type known, a copper-alloy knee brooch composed of a rectangular-section body, spring pin within bow plate and remains of catchplate to reverse; both sides of the body with two panels of Latin lettering moulded in relief: 'FIBUL[A] EX REG LAGITIENSE', translating to 'Brooch from the Regio Lagitiensis' (Roman Castleford); remains of blue glass enamelling to the recessed fields.

A large fired clay brick from the Wall of Babylon bearing six lines of stamped Babylonian cuneiform inscription to one face which reads: 'AG - ku -dur-ri-URU' / 'LUGAL ba-bi-lu' / 'za-ni-nu é-sag-ila' / 'u e-zi-da IBILA' / 'SAG.KAL. sa AG-IBILA-URU' / 'LUGAL ba-bi-lu ana-ku', which translates: 'Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who provides for Esagila and Ezida, the eldest son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I'; traces of bitumen on the blank side; accompanied by an old label which reads: 'Brick from the Wall of Babylon / Presented by W.Bro. Gentle-Cackett Secretary Bible Lands Mission / The impression records the fact that it was built by King Nebuchadnezzar [II]'.

A tinned sheet-bronze legionary helmet of Imperial Gallic Type A with deep rounded bowl, simple C-shaped cut-outs for the ears, integral flared neck-guard extending some way along the sides, corrugated ribs to the occipital area at the rear and corrugated 'wings' or eyebrows (Russel-Robinson's Type E) above the brow; small stud the rear of the neck-guard attaching suspension loops to the underside; hinged bracket at each temple for a deeply curved cheek-guard with gently flared rim, bearing a loop to the inner face to accept an vinculum fastening strap; accompanied by a custom-made display stand.

A gilt copper-alloy mount composed of a broad annular body with slightly domed profile, the body quartered with each cell displaying a chip-carved interlace motif configured A:B:A:B; rim, edges and central cell with raised rim; rivet and flat-section mounting bar to reverse.

A bronze bowl mount or escutcheon comprising a discoid panel with gently curved profile and zoomorphic hook; the panel with reserved La Tène comma-leaf decoration on a pounced field (intended to receive enamel fill); the hook with median gusset to the outer face, horse-head finial, bulbous La Tène ornament at the base.

A pair of large Early Anglo-Saxon gilt copper-alloy saucer brooches each comprising a broad (13mm+) angled flange surrounding a central disc with carinated border; outer zone comprising four arches subdivided by hatching to the inner edge and four C-shaped panels with triangular separators, inner zone separated by a carinated border, central disc with four radiating bilinear crescents; pin-lugs and catch to the reverse with traces of mineralised fabric.

A silver chessman-type seal matrix with pierced trefoil head and knop above; central motif of a leopard statant gardant before a tree, pelletted border and blackletter legend '* sigillum [lozenge] steffani [cinquefoil cinquefoil] ale [cinquefoil lozenge] lane' (for 'seal of Stephen [at?] ale lane').

An annular gold band with everted upper and lower lip, filigree ropework above and below each rim, with circumferential inscription to the recessed exterior face; of the five separate bands, the central one accommodating an applied strip of paler gold bearing a Medieval French blackletter inscription in relief, reading: '+loiautet (5 five cinquefoils) pas tout (5 five cinquefoils)', or 'Loyalty Passes All'; the inscription band may once have been enamelled; plain interior; the outer rim and twisted band on one edge are slightly bent; cleaned and repaired.

A substantial gold signet ring composed of a lentoid-section hoop, expanding capital style shaped shoulders and irregular octagonal bezel engraved with a skull, two flowers below separating the reversed initials in capitals: 'CL', framed by a beaded border.

A marble copy of the kneeling Venus (original in the Vatican Museums), crouching on an octagonal base; the arms raised in expressive pose, head tilted, hair drawn up in a chignon; lettering to base 'KNEELING VENUS' and 'ROME'.

A group of two similar crescentic gold earrings with slender hook-and-eye hoop, bifacial ornament with gold bulbs to the lower perimeter of both faces and top edges, adorned with pyramid and flower head granules to front face, granule clusters to the inner edge to front face, plain, beaded and striptwist filigree wire crescents to the body, with alternating granulates triangles and rectangles below, repeated on the reverse. 9.61 grams total, 32 mm wide each



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

A substantial gold bangle with hinged clasp, composed of two conjoined oval-section hoops, gusseted loops to each terminal and closure pin. 65 grams, 85 mm wide



Acquired 1990s. London Mayfair gallery, UK. Ex Dutch collection, 2000s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11645-199207.

A shallow terracotta dish with raised rim, painted design of fronds and triangles. 117 grams, 16.5 cm wide



From an important collection of Holy Land pottery formed pre 1988, thence by descent.

A small terracotta jug with strap handle above the shoulder, painted frond patterns to the body, shoulder and neck. 76 grams, 12.4 cm high



From an important collection of Holy Land pottery formed pre 1988, thence by descent.

A ceramic flat-based bowl, inscribed in spiral from the bottom inner wall to the rim with Aramaic text, and on the outer rim. 692 grams, 19.5 cm wide



Early 1990s London collection. Acquired on the UK art market. From a private collection, Lancashire, UK

Aramaic incantation bowls are particular to the Sassanian period and have been found in the regions of modern Iraq. These simple ceramic bowls, also known as magic bowls, each contain an Aramaic inscription, written in ink, which spirals from the centre. The bowls seem to have played an important part in domestic life. For example, during excavation in Nippur in 1889, one or more incantation bowls were found in each house together with domestic artefacts, most often in doorways or under floorboards in the corner of rooms. The bowls are predominantly apotropaic, and the inscriptions tend to protect their owners from misfortunes such as child-birth, illness and evil spirits.

A group of three glazed ceramic tiles each with green border enclosing white bands and median deep-blued band with tendrils, flowers and leaves in white, yellow, black and turquoise; Iranian workmanship. 2.4 kg total, 24-25 cm



Ex Hagop Kevorkian, 1979. Important North West London collection.

A pair of bronze openwork discoid door 'bosses' or handle mounting plates, each with a central dome inscribed around the neck, procession of birds with spread wings below, geometric band, openwork interlace motif, egg-and-dart style shaped circumference. 1.4 kg total, 24 cm wide each



From a UK private collection. An old Christie's label to verso: '656/8673'.

A mixed group of glazed ceramic floor tiles: 16 small star-shaped examples with blue glaze finish; 12 square ones with a step to each corner, white glaze finish with design of turquoise roundels and dark blue stars; ten similar stepped half-tiles; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 3.7 kg total, 67.5 x 49.7 cm

Fine condition.

Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

A rare rectangular marble shadow clock or sundial with three chamfered edges, scrolls and foliate tendrils framing panels of Kufic script to the sides reading, to the left 'Mohammed is his messenger of God' and to the right 'There is no God but Allah'; also inscribed with the maker's name to the front: Sheikh Abol Hassan Mansor Saif; with a sun dial to the upper face framed by a rope border; copper-alloy spike to the upper face to accept the gnomon. 64.7 kg, 71 cm wide



From an important Paris gallery, France. with Antiquite Brocante Chateau, Vente Encher, 6 March 2009. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13022-199340.

A bronze sword with solid cast hilt with penannular guard and a horizontally ribbed grip; a conical stone mushroom pommel and a multi-fullered blade tapering to a sharp tip; handle repaired. 876 grams, 56 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

According to Moorey, such category of swords were distributed in the Northern Iran area, as proved by the Amarlu finds. Based on the example from the Ashmolean Museum, he dated them to the end of the 2nd millennium B.C., more precisely to a period between 1400-1200 B.C.

A bronze sword with flanged hilt, penannular guard and strong midrib running to the pointed tip, hilt and pommel open to accept inlays, bronze fastening nail still visible in the pommel. 477 grams, 39 cm



Ex S. Motamed collection. with Bellman's Auctions, 20th-26th June 2015, lot 2482. Property of a London gentleman.

According to Khorasani and Negahban, blade and grip of this kind of swords were cast in one-piece mould. The penannular guard was later added to the blade.

A bronze short sword or dirk with tapering blade and square shoulders, flanged hilt with crenellated grip, widening slightly to a fan-shaped pommel, strong midrib and penannular guard. 464 grams, 44 cm



Ex S. Motamed collection. with Bellman's Auctions, 20th-26th June 2015, lot 2482. Property of a London gentleman.

According to Khorasani and Moorey, this type of dirk probably originated from the north and appeared in Western Iran towards the end of the Late Bronze Age, remaining in use alongside with the early examples of iron dirks. Medveskaya stated that usually this type of daggers and dirks were cast in one piece, meaning the penannular grip was cast on later to the dagger or dirk.