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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Roman Ring with Sol Gemstone
Circa 1st century B.C.-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
A bronze finger ring with inset carnelian cloison, intaglio Sol standing with whip. 5.17 grams, 20.88 mm overall, 17.37 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK. -
Roman Redware Jar
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
A bulbous redware jar with short neck and everted rim; rim chipped. 2.2 kg, 24 cm high
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Roman and Other Bead String Group
1st-3rd century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £195
A group of 17 Roman or other restrung necklace strings of graduated small drawn creamy white stone and glass beads. 453 grams total, 77 cm long
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Ex property of a London gentleman. -
Roman Artefact Group
Circa 1st-5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
A trio of artefacts comprising: a Roman copper-alloy coin, likely a sestertius, with worn designs to obverse and reverse, the reverse likely portraying the goddess Minerva leaning on a shield and wearing a helmet; a stone loom weight of conoid form, dated c.100 A.D. and discovered in Egypt; a Roman ceramic oil lamp dated c.500 A.D., piriform in plan with raised borders to the central opening and nozzle, decorative ribbing to the shoulder, conical handle and basal ring. 150 grams total, 33-92 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 two identification display cards. 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. -
Large Roman Aubergine Glass Twin-Handled Jar
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,778
An aubergine glass jar with onion-shaped body, cylindrical neck, trumpet-style mouth and rolled lip; two applied green glass handles and pie crust frill around neck, body with decorative raised lobes; some iridescence. 246 grams, 18 cm high
Fine condition.
Mitsukoshi, Tokyo, Japan, 1981. Kokusai Bijutsu: Ninth International Art Exhibition, no.46. Acquired Bonhams, New Bond Street, 28 November 2019, lot 146. Ex J.L. collection Surrey, UK. Accompanied by copies of the Bonhams catalogue pages. -
Romano-Egyptian Silver Snake Ring
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
A slender silver ring in the form of a coiled flat-headed cobra with punched head and scale detailing. 5.03 grams, 27.56 mm overall, 22.13 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Z, USA 12 1/2, Europe 28.77, Japan 27)
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK. -
Roman Lock Plate Figure
Circa 1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
A bronze key composed of a tapering shaft with hatched and notched detailing, finial in the form of a bust with stylised facial detailing, rectangular openwork ward; perforated through the finial for suspension. 30.7 grams, 79 mm
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK. -
Roman Horse Head Whorl Brooch
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £598
A bronze swastika-shaped fibula with horse-head decoration, each head with punched ring-and-dot eye, a similar motif to the centre. 16.7 grams, 45 mm
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK.
In the 3rd century A.D., several examples of fibulae in the shape of four horses’ heads forming a swastika (type Almgren 232) seem to be related to the creation of the Illyrian cavalry corps in Roman army. Many examples of these military fibulae were found in ancient Roman Dacia (Romania), in Roman Illyricum and Moesia. -
Post Roman Ring with Inscription
6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
A bronze finger ring with raised ellipsoid bezel, the shoulders decorated with engraved foliage, on the bezel incised in Greek letters the inscription 'ΚΕΡΙ ΚАΛΗ' (written backwards). 4.33 grams, 23.12 mm overall, 21.00 mm internal diameter (approximate size British U 1/2, USA 10 1/4, Europe 23.15, Japan 22)
Acquired in the late 1990s-2000. Property of an East London gentleman.
The ring corresponds to the 1d type of Hadjadj's classification. The Greek inscription is probably a barbaric interpretation of 'ΚΗΡΙ ΚАΛΗ' (kind-hearted). The Merovingian typology of the ring suggests a late Roman product under the Roman-Barbarian kingdoms of Gaul or the Iberian Peninsula. -
Roman and Other Bead Necklace
1st century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £39
A restrung group of mainly opaque blue glass beads of various types. 9.54 grams, 65 cm long
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Roman Key with Chain
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
A key composed of a D-section handle and integral loop, decorated with hatched geometric motifs, notched rectangular-section stem and rectangular bit with six teeth; chain composed of nine links. 18.8 grams, 22 cm
Fine condition.
Acquired Munich, Germany, late 1990s. Property of an East London gentleman. -
Roman Equine Protome
2nd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
A bronze zoomorphic equine protome formed as the forequarters of a galloping horse, with a round-section body and semi-naturalistic detailing to the head and mane; perforation to the upper edge of the body for attachment. 55 grams, 57 mm
Found UK. Acquired in the 1970s, Yorkshire, UK. Property of a Bedfordshire, UK, gentleman.
The bronze equine protome belongs to a well-known category of objects used to fasten caskets or furniture with animal protomes, especially panthers and horses, animals connected to the procession of the god Dionysus.