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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Egyptian Faience Shabti
Late Period, 30th Dynasty, circa 380 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
A mottled green and white glazed composition shabti with dorsal pillar, tripartite wig, horizontal and vertical panels hieroglyphic (or Demotic?) text to the lower body with scribe sign. 68.5 grams, 12.5 cm high
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private Swiss collection since 1998. -
Egyptian Faience Bead Necklace
Late Period, 664-525 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
A restrung necklace composed of glazed faience tubular beads; modern clasp. 8 grams, 47.5 cm long
From an early 20th century UK collection. -
Egyptian Alabaster Mummy Eye
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
An alabaster mummy eye with slightly domed profile, black stone inlay representing the iris and pupil. 8.65 grams, 43 mm
Fine condition.
Property of a Staffordshire lady, 1980s. Acquired Litchfield, Staffordshire, UK. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. -
Egyptian Black Hardstone Sphinx
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 500-31 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
An Egyptian or Graeco-Roman hardstone female sphinx modelled in the round, sitting on a sub-rectangular base, her hair tied in a bun on the top of her head, circular socket to the top face behind the head; mounted on a custom-made antique wooden display base. 74 grams total, 50 mm long including base
Fine condition.
From Saqqara in the late 1960s. With John Cummings, Lincolnshire, UK, 1990s. Acquired 20 May 1997. Property of a South Oxfordshire private collector. Accompanied by an original invoice no.6469 dated 20 May 1997. Accompanied by a scholarly note by Egyptologist Paul Whelan.
This type of sphinx amulet is quite rare in Egypt, for instance, the vast output and variety of amulets identified from the Late Period industrial-scale workshops at Naukratis does not include three-dimensional winged sphinxes, only their image impressed in scarabs, suggesting that this example may have been an import and/or once the possession of a Greek person in Egypt. -
Egyptian Seated Cat Amulet
Third Intermediate Period, 1069-702 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
A carved haematite amuletic pendant of the cat goddess Bastet, sitting on a rectangular base, suspension loop behind the shoulders. 2.17 grams, 20 mm
Acquired 1980s. Private collection of L.H., Staffordshire, UK. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. -
Egyptian Palace of Amenophis III Painted Wall Plaster
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, 1386-1349 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
An amorphous plaster fragment from a wall of the palace of Amenophis III; polychrome painted motif to one face; from Malkata, Thebes. 17.6 grams, 50 mm
From an old UK collection. From the private collection of Alf Baxendale (1941-2016) part 2, keen Egyptologist, member of the Egyptology Society, trustee of the Amarna Trust; thence by descent. Accompanied by an identification display card. Accompanied by a copy of his obituary published in Horizon, The Amarna Project and Amarna Trust newsletter, Issue 18, 2017, p.21, by Barry John Kemp, CBE, FBA, Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Cambridge and directing excavations at Amarna in Egypt. -
Egyptian and Other Faience and Hardstone Bead Collection
1st millennium B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £312
A mixed group of mainly composition, glass, shell and stone polychrome beads of various types and dates. 167 grams total, 2-26 mm
Acquired in the 1970s. Important European collection. -
Egyptian Faience Amulet Bust
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
A composition amulet fragment in the form of the head and upper torso of a goddess wearing a long lappet wig and remains of a crown, with stylised detailing to the face; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 3.7 grams total, 22 mm high (32 mm high including stand)
Fine condition.
From an earlier 20th century collection. with Charles Ede, London, UK, stock number 2700. Acquired circa 1999-2002. Property of a South Oxfordshire private collector. -
Large Egyptian Blue-Glazed Faience Wedjat Eye
Late Period, 664-525 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
A blue-glazed faience wedjat, eye of Horus, amulet with detailing to one face; pierced for suspension. 7.15 grams, 38 mm
Essex gallery, early 2000s. -
Egyptian Statue Fragment Group
Circa 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
A group of five ceramic and composition statuette fragments including glazed examples: a terracotta royal head with Nemes headdress and uraeus; the green glazed foot of a shabti with hieroglyphs; the head of a figure in raised relief, painted geometric column to the rear; copper-alloy strap junction displaying a human face, four-way attachment reverse; glass ram head with applied eyes and horns. 105 grams total, 21-54 mm
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private collection since 1998. -
Egyptian Stone Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-525 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
A carnelian fly amulet with simple stylised detailing to the body, legs and head; drilled for suspension. 0.85 grams, 14 mm
From an early 20th century UK collection. -
Egyptian Pyramid of Djedefre Foundation Deposit
Fifth Dynasty, 2465-2323 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
A group of eight small ceramic offering dishes from the pyramid area of Djedefre at Abu Sir. 149 grams total, 44-69 mm
From an old UK collection. From the private collection of Alf Baxendale (1941-2016) part 2, keen Egyptologist, member of the Egyptology Society, trustee of the Amarna Trust; thence by descent. Accompanied by an identification display card. Accompanied by a copy of his obituary published in Horizon, The Amarna Project and Amarna Trust newsletter, Issue 18, 2017, p.21, by Barry John Kemp, CBE, FBA, Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Cambridge and directing excavations at Amarna in Egypt.