Auction Highlights
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Egyptian Fishtail Flint Knife
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,150
Knapped bifacial tan knife with fishtail butt to receive a hilt; the rounded tip tapering and flaring along the edges; with a custom-made display stand. -
Egyptian Stone Scarab Inscribed for Tutankhamun
Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
Naturalistically modelled and coloured blue, hieroglyphs on base; pierced for suspension. -
Greek Marble Funerary Anthemion Stele
Sold for (Inc. bp): £17,550
Comprising a tall, plain body with two rosettes; crowned by an elaborate palmette and volute design with shallow acanthus stalks and small rosettes; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Corinthian Black-Figure Aryballos with a Lion
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
The squat oil flask with slender neck and broad everted rim, painted with rosette petals around the mouth and base, spots encircling the rim, horizontal stipes to the strap handle, vegetal motifs and the forequarters of a roaring lion to one face of the body. -
Greek Tarentine Terracotta Head of a Youth
Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
Possibly depicting Ganymede or Paris, wearing a soft Phrygian cap with everted brim, the hair swept back from the face; almond-shaped eyes with pronounced eyelids, straight nose and fleshy lips; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Campanian Red-Figure Neck-Amphora with Cavalryman
Sold for (Inc. bp): £10,400
The piriform body with broad, stepped rim and two round-section handles; red-figure frieze depicting two standing women facing, wearing a himation and stephane; the other side with a nude standing warrior wearing an Apulo-Corinthian helmet, holding the reins of his horse, acanthus leaves, ovolo and wave motifs to the neck and lower body; probably from a Cuma workshop. -
Hellenistic Gold Earrings with Lapis and Mother of Pearl
Sold for (Inc. bp): £19,500
Comprising a shallow disc with central flower motif inlaid with carnelian and lapis lazuli, surrounded by a beaded border, the outer pearled border inlaid with mostly replicant lapis lazuli, and mother of pearl inserts; three pendants to the lower edge, two with chain and carnelian bead, the central pendant formed as a miniature amphora with filigree, repaired; housed in a custom-made display box. -
Hellenistic Terracotta Head of a Youth
Sold for (Inc. bp): £18,200
Tousled curly hair, strong aquiline nose and full mouth; the deep eyes marked by raised eyelids and prominent semi-circular eyebrows; the hair arranged in overlapping rows of locks; repaired; mounted on a later porphyry plinth. -
Roman Terracotta Foot Lamp
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Mould-made and shaped as a sandaled left foot, filling-hole surrounded by a ridge in the ankle area, the sandal with two leather straps tied together near the ankle, wick-hole in the big toe; inscription 'ƩΑΛΣΙϹ' to the base, heel chipped. -
Roman Polychrome Wall Painting Fragment with Winged Siren
Sold for (Inc. bp): £20,800
Decorated with a frieze of partially preserved acanthus volutes from which emerges a figure of a winged female, possibly a siren, the body and the head of a woman with brown hair, the outstretched wings in pink and yellow; ochre background, cream-coloured line border with a green raised edge (part of the wall) below; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Neo-Assyrian Bronze Horse Trapping with Eagle-Headed God Nisroch and Winged Supernatural Figures
Sold for (Inc. bp): £15,600
The left side of a trapping for a horse pulling a chariot, comprising two hammered elements with a hinge; rectangular upper section with a loop to one end, decorated with an eagle-headed genius-demon, wearing a tunic and a fringed kilt, a shawl wrapped around the body, hanging down on the back, carrying a bucket of purifying water in his right hand and a conical pot of incense in his left hand, bracelets to arms, two rows of lotus buds above; the discoid lower section divided in two registers, each with a winged genii in combat with winged bulls; the dividing raised band with fish motifs similar to the border formed of fish; the edges of both elements with punched edges for the attachment of leather lining; Neo-Assyrian or Urartian; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Migration Period Iron Sword with Garnet Cross Guard and Scabbard Fittings
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,150
With a double-edged parallel-sided blade with broad pointed tip; the lower guard inlaid with garnet cloisonné divided into four segments; accompanied by a rectangular scabbard slide inlaid with two rows of garnets and other stone; and a part of a sheet-silver chape. -
Viking Iron Sword with Cross Guard Surmounted by Interlaced Dragons
Sold for (Inc. bp): £8,450
Comprising a double-edged cutting blade with tapering fullers and hefty tang; the bronze cross guard in Jellinge style with dragon head finials and a central human face to the lower edge; the pommel with seven lobes; accompanied by a bronze openwork chape with central bird motif decorated with stamped ring-and-dot design. -
Bronze Age Gold Torc-Shaped Bracelet
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,050
Of solid heavy penannular form, round in section with clubbed terminals. -
Iberian Celtic 'Axel Guttman' Bronze Warrior Finial
Sold for (Inc. bp): £13,000
With slightly tapering socket and openwork bulb above, discoid platform supporting a mounted warrior modelled in the round; horse with long vertical tail and horizontal reins, bowed legs and scrolls at the hooves; warrior astride the horse with legs bent and feet to the rear, helmet with lateral horns and large swept crest with notched edge; arms bent to show the warrior in the act of drawing his falcata sword from the scabbard worn across his midriff; mounted on a custom-made stand. -
Very Large Celtic Enamelled Bronze Dragonesque Brooch
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,420
S-shaped with scrolled flourishes to the dragon-head terminals, remains of inlaid blue and red enamelling to the stylised beast heads, wave and lozenge ornament to the body; free-running tongue with head coiled around the neck of one of the creatures; Romano-British. -
Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Chip-Carved Beast Manuscript Mount
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
With high-relief aviform head and wings and looped ornamental swags, knotwork panels in the field; two holes for mounting; possibly a book-mount, Hiberno-Saxon workmanship. -
The High-Status 'Ryedale' Anglo-Saxon Bronze Hanging Bowl Complete with all Four Chip-Carved Mounts
Sold for (Inc. bp): £36,400
An excessively rare and almost complete copper-alloy hanging bowl and associated fittings comprising: (i) the bowl with three attached matching hooked escutcheons and suspension rings (ii) the basal disc (iii) a body fragment (or possible repair patch) (iv) a curved bronze fragment (ii) the basal disc with separate frame (iii) fragment of copper-alloy sheet, possibly forming part of a repair to the base of the bow (iv) a curved copper-alloy strip (iv) four skeletal fragments from a sheep or similar. -
'The Scampton' Published Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Florid Cruciform Brooch
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,050
Of Martin's Group 4 with rectangular headplate and florid face-masks to the three edges and conical eyes, deep bow with with square central panel, footplate with square lateral lappets, triangular face-mask finial with conical eyes; pin-lug and catchplate to the reverse; gilded surface abraded. -
Superb Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Great Square-Headed Brooch
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,700
Of Hines's Group X with two discs on the headplate in a rectangular frame surrounded by a frieze of facing human masks, and another mask placed centrally above the junction with the bow; shallow bow with three ribs; curved horse-head lappets flanking a vertical shank with facing mask detailing, discoid lobes and an inverted mask below; pin-lugs to the reverse and solder-scar where the catchplate was attached. -
Medieval Virgin and Child by a Follower of Dirk Bouts
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,700
Oil on board devotional panel in a gilt wooden frame; the Virgin in a bottle-green gown with gilt collar and cream undershift, crimson mantle; the naked Christ supported on his mother's left hip, his left foot clasped in the interleaved fingers of her right hand; textured gilt field; attributed to a follower of Dirk Bouts. -
Medieval Limoges Bronze and Champleve Enamel Roundel with Fantastical Creature
Sold for (Inc. bp): £23,400
Openwork winged beast to the centre, its tails curling beneath the body creating the foliate tendrils on which it perches, broad outer roundel decorated with geometric plants alternating with lozenges, extensive remains of blue champlevé enamelling; engraved and chiselled; four attachment holes. -
Medieval Gilt Bronze Processional Cross
Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
With wooden core to which the embossed sheets have been attached; the obverse with a central nimbate Corpus Christi, an applied rosette above and to the left arm; an angel to the finial of the upper and lower arm with Mary and St John the Evangelist to the side arms; the reverse with a central figure of Jesus holding the Gospel and making the sign of blessing; each finial of the arm with the symbols of the Evangelists (eagle, angel, lion and ox); the cross resting on a floral sphere with a socket below. -
Baroque Gold, Ruby and Enamel Ring
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,700
Composed of a slender hoop, expanding shoulders decorated with white enamelled foliage and black enamelled pea-pod ornament, repeated around the bezel, bezel with box setting holding a table-cut ruby, white and black enamelled floral design to the underside; minor loss of enamel; likely from France; accompanied by a 'Les Enluminures' hinged presentation box.
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Natural History - Fossil Shrimps
Late Cretaceous Period, Cenomanian Stage, circa 100.5-93.9 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
On a sedimentary matrix comprising three Carpopenaeus callirostris specimens. 123 grams, 69 x 66 mm
Ex Lincolnshire, UK, collection. -
Natural History - Insects in Baltic Amber Group
Oligocene Age, circa 45 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Comprising six pieces of amber, each containing flies together with other inclusions. 2.65 grams total, 11-24 mm
Collected 1930-1960. From the collection of the palaeontologist R Gledhill. -
Natural History - Fossilised Wood Slice
Triassic Period, circa 230 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Polished to both sides. 762 grams, 17.2 cm
From Madagascar. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol, UK, palaeontological collection. -
Natural History - Knightia Fossil Fish Mortality Plate
Eocene Period, 56-33 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
The round matrix displaying three Knightia alta fossil fish with faint remains of another. 168 grams, 13.6 cm
Ex Lincolnshire, UK, collection.
In southwest Wyoming (and parts of Colorado and Utah) in the Green River Formation are found some of the world's most outstanding specimens of fossil fish. The Green River system was composed of three lakes: Lake Ulinta, Lake Gosiute and Fossil Lake. These Eocene lakes lay in a series of intermountain basins formed by geological events that uplifted the Rocky Mountains during the early Tertiary time. The climate was much different from the desert-like climate of this area today. Both the fauna (crocodiles, alligators, boa constrictors and some subtropical fish families) and the flora (such as large palm trees) indicate a climate much like that found along the Gulf Coast today. Large amounts of ash found in the sediments indicate that volcanoes were particularly active at this time. -
Natural History - British Dactylioceras Fossil Ammonite Pair
Jurassic Period, circa 200-190 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
The matrix with two Dactylioceras tenuicostatum fossil ammonite specimens. 1.6 kg, 14 cm
From the Holderness Coast, Yorkshire, UK. -
Natural History - Polished Douvilleiceras Ammonite Group
Middle Cretaceous Period, Albian Stage, circa 150 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Comprising three Douvilleiceras sp. ammonites (sometimes known as a Goat Horn). 123 grams total, 45-48 mm
From the north-east coast of Madagascar. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol, UK, palaeontological collection. -
Natural History - Large Desert Rose Mineral Display
Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
A very large selenite gypsum 'desert rose' composed of blades of selenite with gypsum sand inclusions. 3.1 kg, 22 cm wide
From a Humberside, UK, collection. -
Natural History - Large Polished Bowl with Fossil Goniatite
Devonian Period, 417-354 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
The shallow bowl displaying various other inclusions, as on the polished exterior; roughly circular in form with a flat base. 1.6 kg, 26 cm wide
From Morocco, North Africa. -
Natural History - Fossil Diplomystus Fish
Eocene Period, circa 58 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
On a rectangular matrix. 292 grams, 15.7 cm
From Wyoming (Green River Formation), USA. From an old Bristol, UK, collection.
Seasonally some 58 million years ago, in the Green River region of Wyoming, torrential rains fell in the mountains. They flowed down the mountain sides, forming wide shallow lakes in the valley below. During the dry season, these lakes would dry up due to evaporation (as happens in certain parts of Africa today). Millions of fish died in this short period of time. This climatic cycle happened over a 20-thousand-year period. Layer upon layer of mud entombed all these fish. At a much later date, volcanic activity uplifted this area to expose the fossils. -
Natural History - Polished Green Tourmaline Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Comprising a quantity of over approximately 500 carats of tumble-polished green tourmaline crystals. 99 grams total, 5-13 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Natural History - Whitby Dac Fossil Ammonite Cluster
Lower Jurassic Period, Toarcian Stage, circa 180 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Comprising a large number of Dactylioceras tenuicostatum in various sizes. 680 grams, 16 cm
Ex Lincolnshire, UK, collection. -
Natural History - Mosasaur Fossil Partial Jaw with Teeth
Cretaceous Period, 145-65 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
A lower jaw section displaying two large teeth from the Mosasaur prognathodon sp. 154 grams, 84 mm
Found in the phosphate mine region, Khouribga, Morocco. Acquired 1950s-1960s. From an old Bristol, UK, palaeontological collection.