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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Greek Silver-Gilt Mask of Silenus
3rd-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,470
Naturalistically modelled in repoussé as the mature and frowning face of the god Silenus; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 9.4 grams, 37 mm (160 grams total, 98 mm high including stand)
Ex old English collection. London art market, 1980s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11849-207741.
In Greek mythology, Silenus was a god of the forest, associated with musical creativity, ecstatic dance and drunkenness. He was also a prophet and a bearer of dire wisdom. When the god Dionysus was born from the thigh of Zeus, Hermes took the infant to live with Silenus, where he was raised together with local nymphs in a cave on mount Nysa. Silenus was frequently present in the train of Dionysus, fought with the latter against the giants, and accompanied him on his adventures. -
Greek Red-Figure Fragment with Athletes Attributed to the Euaion Painter
Circa 460 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
From a kylix, the inside painted with two young naked athletes within a medallion, conversing and cleaning their bodies with a strigil, the edge of the medallion decorated with a series of meanders and four crosses; the outside with two naked athletes and other figures, divided by foliage ornaments and volutes. 121 grams, 15.2 cm
Acquired in before 2005. Private collection, Europe. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11805-206818.
The Euaion painter was a prolific artist of about 460 B.C. His painting - already in the manneristic period of the Attic red figures vases - was more nearly classical in style, although the ancestry of his small-headed, slim figures, is very evident. He introduced a high, sometimes patterned ground line for an upright two-figure group, and preferred the old elaborately patterned borders for tondos and the ground lines outside cups. -
Greek Attic Black-Figure Lekythos with Fighting Hoplites
6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
The piriform body tapering towards the splayed foot, D-section strap handle and calyx-shaped mouth with flat rim; the body painted with a scene of two duelling hoplites, dressed in full armour comprising shields, greaves and helmets, dressed in short chitons and assisted by their arbiters holding staffs and dressed in long himation; the shoulder with palmette decoration and facing figures of a man and a woman with long garments around the shoulder; restored. 381 grams, 23 cm high
Old Swiss collection. Acquired in Europe before 2011. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11815-206482.
To the Greeks, lekythoi were containers for dispensing oil. The characteristics shape of this vessel was that of a long body, narrow neck, one handle and a cup-shaped mouth. The shape was fit for the function of the lekythos: the narrow neck prevented the unnecessary loss of oil by enabling small amounts to be distributed evenly and the mouth to collect the excess. The represented scene is probably taken from the Iliad and could represent the combat between Ajax and Hector, assisted by arbiters. -
Mycenaean Terracotta Vessel Collection
12th-11th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,820
Comprising: a stirrup jar; trefoil jug; a jar; juglet and handled dish or cup; all decoratively painted with geometric designs; some repairs. 693 grams total, 8.3-12.6 cm
with Sotheby's, 13 December 1990, lot 217. -
Corinthian Black-Figure Aryballos with a Lion
Circa 600 B.C.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. 41.7 grams, 55 mm
Acquired from Dr. Jean Lauffenburger, circa 1980. Private collection, Europe. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11850-206480. -
Apulian Red-Figure Skyphos with Owls
5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,820
The cup with two handles to the neck and a broad, integral foot; both principal faces displaying an owl standing right between laurel branches; repaired. 127 grams, 15 cm wide
Acquired in Europe before 1994. with Christie's, New York, 2 June 1995, lot 95. -
Proto-Corinthian Painted Pottery Cup
7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
Broadly conical in form, with rounded shoulder, inverted rim, two slender D-shaped handles and gently splayed foot; polychrome painted concentric bands to the inner and outer faces and geometric sunburst pattern around the foot; restored. 74 grams, 16 cm wide
Acquired in the 1960s-1970s. Ex European private collection. -
Greek Archaic Terracotta Head of Kore
6th-5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £975
Modelled in the round wearing a diadem or headdress, either a Kore or Aphrodite, hollow-formed; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 229 grams, 12 cm (263 grams total, 13.5 cm high including stand)
Acquired in the 1970s. Ex European private collection.
The type belongs to the evolution of the ‘Aphrodite Group’ that was distributed and copied by local workshops in Ionia and the rest of Greece. The figurines of this type are found in sanctuaries of female deities, as well as graves (eg. in Molyvoti). Similar figurines have also been found in Thassos. -
Greek Tarentine Terracotta Head of a Youth
Mid 4th century B.C.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. 1.2 kg total, 25.3 cm high including stand
Acquired early 20th century. From the collection of Count Henri d'Epinay (1940-2017), Longuenesse, France. Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport no.196149. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11824-207736.
The terracotta sculpture appears to have similarities with other Tarentine heads from the early Hellenistic Period. A marble head from Taranto, datable to the end of the 4th century B.C., presents similar elements. The visible character is clearly attributable to Graeco-Roman mythology. The only clue regarding the identity of the head is provided by the Phrygian cap, which narrows down the identification to few characters from Greek mythology: the Trojan prince Ganymede, abducted by Zeus for his beauty and named by him the cupbearer of the gods, or the Trojan prince Paris. There are many representations of Ganymede in a Phrygian cap (Hakanen, 2022, plates 6,12a). However, the third possibility is that the sculpture represents Attis, lover of the goddess Cybele. -
Life-Size Etruscan Terracotta Foot
Circa 200 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
From a statue; left foot with detailed lacing to the sandal; integral wedge below to provide the correct angle for the foot and ankle. 3.1 kg total, 28 cm wide including stand
From the collection of Platon Hobson (29 January 1937-3 December 2022), local dealer and previously a costumier in the film industry. -
Campanian Red-Figure Neck-Amphora with Cavalryman
340-330 B.C.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. 1.55 kg, 40.2 cm high
Ex private collection Mr S., Geneva, by inheritance. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. Accompanied by an original thermoluminescence analysis report no.N123k3 from Oxford Authentication. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11784-206515.
The illustration of the horse is noteworthy: contemporary descriptions speak about the Sicilian horses as 'generous, swift and with firm foot' (Aeneid III, 704). The Oscan poet Lucilius of the 2nd century B.C. quotes the Campanian chargers as ‘fiery and brave although not very fine in their look’. The artistic evidence, like here, depicts well-built horses with fine legs suitable for middle-light cavalry. -
Hellenistic Gold Earrings with Lapis and Mother of Pearl
4th-2nd century B.C.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. 10.23 grams total, 57-61 mm
Acquired by Tuyet Nguyet in the 1970s-1980s. From the jewellery collection of Tuyet Nguyet and Stephen Markbreiter. Important North West London collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11777-204568.