Auction Highlights
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Egyptian Red Glass Face Inlay
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,640
A red glass insert of a profile face with remains of a pharaonic crown to the forehead. -
Egyptian Thoth as an Ibis with Maat
Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
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. -
Egyptian Bust of Ptah
Sold for (Inc. bp): £13,000
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. -
Large Greek Hydria with Egg-and-Dart Motifs
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,525
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. -
Large Greek Apulian Red-Figure Bell-Krater
Sold for (Inc. bp): £28,600
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. -
Roman Military Eagle Staff Terminal
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,050
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 Castleford Military Garrison' Romano-British 'Regio Lagitiensis' Inscribed Brooch
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,940
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. -
Large 'King Nebuchadnezzar the Great' Brick from the Wall of Babylon
Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,980
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]'. -
Roman Legionary Helmet with Wings of Jupiter
Sold for (Inc. bp): £52,000
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. -
Anglo-Saxon Gilt Chip-Carved Mount with Interlaced Panels
Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,240
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. -
'The Pershore' Anglo-Saxon Hanging Bowl Mount with Horse-Head
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,150
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. -
'The Siddington' Impressive Anglo-Saxon Chip-Carved Saucer Brooch Pair
Sold for (Inc. bp): £24,700
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. -
English Medieval Silver Chessman Type Seal Matrix for Stephen of Ale Lane
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,510
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'). -
'The Bettiscombe' Medieval Gold 'Loyalty is Everything' Posy Ring
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
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. -
Stuart Period Gold Renaissance Memento Mori Signet Ring with C.L. and Skull
Sold for (Inc. bp): £19,500
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. -
Marble Statue of Kneeling Venus
Sold for (Inc. bp): £14,950
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'.
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Natural History - Quartz Crystal 'Flower' Specimen
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
A quartz crystal 'flower' specimen. 312 grams, 12.6 cm
Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's). -
Natural History - Cut and Polished Fossil Cleoniceras Ammonite
Jurassic Period, 199-145 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
A pair of cut and polished fossil ammonite halves, each displaying the gas chambers; possibly Cleoniceras sp. 237 grams total, 90-92 mm
From Madagascar. Collected between 1930 and 1960. From the collection of the palaeontologist R Gledhill. -
Natural History - Nantan Meteorite with Polished Section
Fell 1516 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
A Nantan meteorite classified as an iron meteorite; 111CD Course Octohedrite, approximately 92% iron, 6% nickel and with more than ten minerals including kamacite, taenite, dominate, plessite, scheribersite, triolite, graphite and others; accompanied by a information slip: 'Nantan Meteorite / The meteorite is from the witnessed fall in Guangxi, China in 1516 AD. 'During summertime in May of Jiajing 11th year, stars fell from the northwest direction.... waving like snakes and dragons. / 4 Billion years old. Struck earth in the 16th Century.' 13.3 grams, 36 mm
Acquired UK, 2020. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. Accompanied by an information slip.
The Nantan meteorite fell in 1516 as recorded in ancient Chinese texts. The fireball exploded during descent which resulted in the shower of many individual iron meteorites over an area 28km x 8km in Nandan County, Guangxi, China. -
Natural History - Fossil Ammonite Cluster
Callovian Age, circa 166-163.5 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
A cluster of Kosmoceras sp. fossil ammonites in a matrix. 697 grams, 13.3 cm
Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection. -
Natural History - Megalodon Giant Shark Fossil Tooth
Miocene-Pliocene Period, 23-3.5 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
A Carcharocles megalodon shark tooth with polished tooth enamel. 110 grams, 92 mm
From Georgia, USA. Collected between 1930 and 1960. From the collection of the palaeontologist R Gledhill. -
Natural History - Mastodon Bone Carving
Pliocene Period, 5.2-2.5 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
A Mastodon bone carving depicting a stylised face with emphasised features. 444 grams, 11.5 cm
From the Island of Java. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol, UK, paleontological collection. -
Natural History - Cut and Polished Agate Crystal Geode Slice Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
A group of six polished agate geode slices; colour-enhanced. 396 grams total, 8.7-11.8 cm
Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's). -
Natural History - Megalodon Giant Shark Fossil Tooth
Miocene-Pliocene Period, 23-3.5 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
A Carcharocles megalodon shark tooth with serrations and polished tooth enamel. 68.2 grams, 75 mm
From Florida, U.S.A. Collected between 1930 and 1960. From the collection of the palaeontologist R Gledhill. -
Natural History - Labradorite Crystal Specimen Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1
A group of 20 crystalline labradorite specimens of dark colour, with a waxy lustre; a calcium-enriched feldspar mineral first identified in Labrador, Canada, which can display an iridescent effect. 2.79 kg total, 4.6-10.6 cm
Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's). -
Natural History - Polished Amber with Insect Inclusion
Oligocene Period, circa 45 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
A polished specimen of amber displaying insect inclusions; Primorskoje mine, Kaliningrad. 6.83 grams, 27 mm
From the Baltic Sea Coast, Primorskoje mine, Kaliningrad. From an Essex, UK, collection. Accompanied by an illustrated identification card with collection number 3199. -
Natural History - Fossil Dragonfly Larvae in Matrix
Miocene Period, circa 16 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
An amorphous matrix displaying at least three fossil Libellula doris dragonfly larvae and another fossil; held in a collector's presentation box. 205 grams total, 16 x 13.5 cm including box
Ex Gloucestershire, UK, collection. -
Natural History - Sporadoceras Fossil Goniatite
Upper Devonian Period, 385-359 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
A large free standing Sporadoceras sp. goniatite, polished through to reveal the calcite preserved inside and showing the dividing gas chambers known as suture patterns. 805 grams, 15.5 cm
From the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, North Africa. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol, UK, paleontological collection.