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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Stone Age Flint Implement Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Comprising a group of mixed stone implements, mostly in flint or chert and knapped, including blades, scrapers and points; some broken and probably from the Sahara region of North Africa. 608 grams total, 37-98 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Massive Stone Age Knapped Stone Hand Axe
Lower Palaeolithic Period, circa 200,000-100,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Of triangular cross section tapering from a slender point to a convex butt; with custom-made display stand. 1.69 kg total, 34 cm including stand
Old German collection, before 1920. -
Stone Age Quartzite Hand Axe
Lower Palaeolithic Period, circa 1.5-1.0 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Knapped bifacial hand axe of neat form with slightly rounded butt and pointed tip; with old inked 'SOMALI / Seton Karr / Coll. / K' label and a 2020 printed auction 'Part Lot 1851' label; with custom-made display stand. 290 grams total, 12.5 cm including stand
Found North Africa. Ex Seton Karr collection. -
Stone Age Massive Implement Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
Comprising a massive axe-shaped stone implement trimmed by knapping, with two pecked and ground stone hand implements, possibly for use with a saddle-type stone quern. 3 kg total, 12.6-32.5 cm
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Stone Age Twydall Flint Scraper Implement
Lower Palaeolithic Period, circa 400,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Formed on a slightly curved flake with one sharpened convex edge; with inked collection number: '1.1343 / .TWYDALL'. 73 grams, 84 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 British Knapped Flint Axehead
Mesolithic Period, 15th-10th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Being a slender knapped flint axe of generally triangular cross-section with convex cutting edge tapering slightly to a rounded butt; in a white patinated grey-brown flint as typically seen with chalk downland finds in southern England. 129 grams, 13.5 cm
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Stone Age Twydall Flint Proto Hand Axe Implement
Lower Palaeolithic Period, circa 400,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Formed on a triangular core with two edges trimmed, one finely; with inked collection number: 'TWYDALL / 10.ss.1017.A'. 180 grams, 81 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 Oldowan Pebble Hand Axe
Lower Palaeolithic Period, circa 2.6-1.7 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,210
Basalt or similar natural stone pebble with crudely knapped cutting or chopping edge; with inked KADA / Gona / Athiopien' findspot note and numbered '55'; with custom-made display stand. 340 grams total, 12.5 cm including stand
Found near Kada Gona, Ethiopia in the 1960s. Subsequently Stark collection, Germany. Later with the Celtic and Prehistoric Museum, Dingle, Country Kerry, Republic of Ireland.
The Oldowan implements, mostly comprising roughly knapped or chipped stone pebbles that provide crude cutting edges, are some of the most ancient artefacts made by the earliest recognised hominids, typified by the discoveries at Oldovan Gorge in Africa, found there by the Leakey family. -
Stone Age Flint Arrowhead Collection
Neolithic Period, 8th-5th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Comprising mostly uniface lentoid flint and chert arrowheads, a few tanged; probably from the Sahara region of North Africa. 134 grams total, 31-61 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Stone Age Polished Blackstone Axehead
Neolithic, 6th-4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £319
Of slender, wedge-shaped form with chamfered, convex cutting edge and angled butt. 289 grams, 20 cm
Private UK collection formed 1990s-2000s. Property of an East Sussex, UK, teacher. -
Stone Age Aterian Tanged Arrowhead Group
Circa 85,000-40,000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Comprising twenty transverse style arrowheads. 149 grams total, 30-47 mm
From Grotte des Pigeons in Taforalt, Morocco. From the 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 Knife Group
Neolithic Period, circa 6th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Comprising thirty flint knives. 88 grams total, 31-57 mm
From the Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK.