Auction Highlights
-
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'.
-
Stone Age Boat-Shaped Axehead
Neolithic Period, circa 3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
A stone axehead with central cylindrical socket, oblong butt and tapering cheeks with vertical convex cutting edge. 334 grams, 11.4 cm
Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector. -
Stone Age Neolithic Polished Axehead
Circa 4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
A finely polished, slightly asymmetric axe with thin body tapering to a pointed butt with convex cutting edge in a mottled granite; possibly from northern Britain. 271 grams, 18 cm
Acquired 1990s. UK private collection. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. -
Stone Age Knife Group
Neolithic Period, circa 6th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
A group of 30 flint knife blades. 160 grams total, 34-62 mm
Ex Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK. -
Danish Stone Age Neolithic Thin Butted Axe
Dolman Period, 3700-3300 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
A finely polished axe with tapering square sides and convex cutting edge. this edge with contemporary re-working by knapping. 373 grams, 16.6 cm
Fine condition.
Acquired 1980s. French private collection before 2020. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. -
Stone Age Twydall Flint Knife
Lower Paleolithic Period, circa 400,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
A Twydall flint knife bearing collector's handwritten inventory id. '1311 I. Twydall'. 66 grams, 60 mm
Found Twydall, Kent, UK. Richard Jones collection, Welling, Kent, UK, 1912-1915. Ex Rochester Museum, Kent collections. Specialist collection of J Edwin Jarvis. Ex Martin Schoyen collection, London, UK. Accompanied by a copy of an article on the site at Twydall. -
Stone Age Twydall Flint Retouched Implement
Lower Paleolithic Period, circa 400,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
A retouched Twydall flint implement bearing a handwritten collector's id. to the body '1433 Twydall'. 364 grams, 94 mm
Found Twydall, Kent, UK. Richard Jones collection, Welling, Kent, UK, 1912-1915. Ex Rochester Museum, Kent collections. Specialist collection of J Edwin Jarvis. Ex Martin Schoyen collection, London, UK. Accompanied by a copy of an article on the site at Twydall. -
Stone Age Acheulian Cleaver Hand Axe
Lower Palaeolithic Period, before 20,0000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
A large Acheulian cleaver-shaped hand axe with a sharp cleaver point on the distal end and a worked rounded base; continuous retouching to the edges. 463 grams, 14.1 cm
Discovered in 1967 at Erg Belfelfoul, Algeria. From an old Hamburg, Germany collection. -
Stone Age Knapped Flint Arrowhead Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
A group of fifty knapped flint arrowheads. 120 grams total, 21-46 mm
Fine condition.
UK gallery, acquired in the 2000s. Property of an English gentleman. -
Stone Age Knapped Flint Arrowhead Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
A group of fifty knapped flint arrowheads. 126 grams total, 23-43 mm
Fine condition.
UK gallery, acquired in the 2000s. Property of an English gentleman. -
Stone Age Knife Group
Neolithic Period, circa 6th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
A group of 30 flint knife blades. 167 grams total, 35-62 mm
Ex Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK. -
Stone Age Aterian Tanged Arrowheads
Circa 85,000-40,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
A group of 20 tanged stone transverse style arrowheads. 250 grams total, 27-55 mm
From Grotte des Pigeons in Taforalt, Morocco, North Africa. Ex Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK.
The tang would have been inserted into a split handle or shaft material, like wood or bone, and then bound in position with cord, or with a binding agent which would have harden to form a permanent bond. The Aterian is the name given to a distinctive stone tool industry made by anatomically modern humans between about 80,000 and 40,000 years ago. The tools are found on sites in northern Africa between the Atlantic coast to the Kharga Oasis and the western edge of the Nile River Basin. The manufacturing process for these tools is derived from the earlier "Mousterian" methods for working stone, using prepared and shaped cores from which were struck off large flakes which were then often unifacially trimmed into the desired tool shapes. They continued with the same basic stone working processes, but with a major conceptual difference. The "Aterian" style tools are the first to have clearly been designed and manufactured to be mounted on handles, with the projectile points and the scrapers having distinctive prepared "tangs" at the base of the tool or projectile point. -
Stone Age Projectile Point Group
Neolithic Period, circa 6th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
A group of 32 flint projectile points. 172 grams total, 37-62 mm
Ex Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK.