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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Stone Age Knapped Flint Arrowhead Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
A group of fifty knapped flint arrowheads. 114 grams total, 19-59 mm
Fine condition.
UK gallery, acquired in the 2000s. Property of an English gentleman. -
Stone Age Neolithic Axe and Chisel Group
Circa 3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Group comprising: a knapped bifacial axe, the cutting edge portion of a finely polished axe and the cutting tip of a finely polished concave edge chisel; all in flint. 560 grams total, 5-15 cm
Acquired in the 1990s. UK private collection. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. -
Stone Age Knapped Flint Knife Blade Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £40
A group of fifty knapped flint blades. 156 grams total, 24-55 mm
Fine condition.
UK gallery, acquired in the 2000s. Property of an English gentleman. -
Stone Age Linear Pottery Shards
Early Neolithic Period, circa 5500-4500 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
A group of 50 Linear Band Ware Pottery culture shards. 306 grams total, 14-45 mm
From the upper and middle Elbe. From the Ullrich collection, Germany. -
Stone Age Upnor Clactonian Flint Cleaver
Lower Palaeolithic Period, circa 400,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
An Upnor Clactonian flint cleaver, bearing collector's handwritten inventory information to one face 'Upnor 2B'. 402 grams, 93 mm
Found Upnor, 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. -
Stone Age Neolithic Implement Collection
Circa 4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
A group comprising: the substantial tip of a finely knapped bifacial knife/dagger with old collector number '1966'; a small polished chisel with square sides and slightly convex cutting edge and a small axe with tapered sides and deeply convex cutting edge; the first two of Danish workmanship, the third possibly from further south. 130 grams total, 6.7-11.1 cm
Acquired 1990s. Private UK dealer. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. -
Stone Age Knapped Flint Knife Blade Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
A group of fifty knapped flint blades. 223 grams total, 34-81 mm
Fine condition.
UK gallery, acquired in the 2000s. Property of an English gentleman. -
Stone Age Aterian Tanged Arrowheads
Circa 85,000-40,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
A group of 20 tanged stone transverse style arrowheads. 298 grams total, 30-71 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 Knapped Flint Arrowhead Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
A group of fifty knapped flint arrowheads. 115 grams total, 21-50 mm
Fine condition.
UK gallery, acquired in the 2000s. Property of an English gentleman. -
Bronze Age Coiled Spectacle Pendant Group
16th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
A group of two spectacle pendants, each composed of two coiled wire circles joined by a loop. 16.9 grams total, 51-53 mm
Early 1990s London collection. Acquired on the UK art market. From a private collection, Lancashire, UK. -
Bronze Age Boat-Shaped Copper Axe Adze
5th-4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
A bronze adze-axe head, boat shaped, fitted with double cutting edges, one parallel to the axis of the handle and the second perpendicular to the same axis. 629 grams, 16 cm
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK. -
Bronze Age Large Bracelet Pair
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
A pair of bronze bangles of different sizes, each composed of round-section hoops and overlapping arms forming coiled terminals on the opposite shoulder. 374 grams total, 11.5-14.5 cm wide
UK private collection before 2000. UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.