Auction Highlights
-
Egyptian Relief with List of Offerings
Sold for (Inc. bp): £18,200
A section of tomb wall with a central register of eight rectangular panels each containing hieroglyphs naming offerings for the deceased; the top and bottom groups of eight rectangular panels each contain a depiction of a kneeling offering-bearer; all carved in high-relief; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Greek Red-Figure Hydria with Combat Scene Between Amazons and Greek or Trojan Heroes
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,800
The vessel with integral round-section upward-facing handles, a third, round-section handle placed vertically between shoulder and upper neck to rear; laurel sprigs to the neck with traces of gilding; combat scene with Amazons (and Trojans?) below, armed with short swords and crescent shields, most wearing an exomis leaving the shoulder and one breast uncovered; volute palmettes below both side-handles, a panel of tiered and swirling volutes to the rear, all on a band of egg-moulding, repeated around the rim; possibly Apulian or Campanian; restored. -
Greek Silver Wine Strainer
Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
Composed of a shallow bowl and broad flange rim, two integral scalloped handles with scrolled flourishes, tapering to a loop handle with swan head terminals each with incised eye and beak detailing; perforated whirl within roundel to interior base; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. -
Eastern Roman Bust of the Daughter of Aqima
Sold for (Inc. bp): £37,700
Modelled in the round with a fragment of stand to the rear; the figure carefully carved to exhibit the delicate facial features and elaborate hairstyle; the palla drawn up over the head and falling over the shoulders to the upper arms; a diadem to the brow with foliage and tendril detailing; elaborate earrings with dangles; necklace of fusiform and tubular beads and a longer one below with piriform plaques; large disc brooch to the left breast with dangles; peplos-style dress draped across the body beneath the palla; left arm bent and hand passing across the body to grasp the hem of the palla with a herringbone bracelet at the wrist; the palla displayed pinned with rosettes to the rear panel; with inscription of thirteen Palmyrene characters above the left shoulder 'NRW' // BRT // 'QM' // ḤBL' meaning 'daughter of Aqima'; traces of red and green pigment; mounted on a custom-made stand by Colin Bowles Ltd. -
Eastern Roman Mosaic Depicting a Bird
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
In a rectangular matrix; cream, olive, pink and other tesserae depicting a bird advancing with head bowed, with banded frame. -
Roman Marble Head of a Germanic Warrior
Sold for (Inc. bp): £28,600
Modelled naturalistically in the round, directing his gaze upwards left, the eyes with sculpted pupils originally decorated with stone insertions, his face framed by voluminous short curls swept up off the forehead, sideburns and a moustache. -
Eastern Roman Mosaic Depicting a Bird
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
In a rectangular matrix; cream, olive, pink and other tesserae depicting a perching bird with rosette above. -
Monumental Byzantine Limestone Chi Rho Roundel
Sold for (Inc. bp): £36,400
Divided into six sections by Christogram letters chi and rho, two of the segments with Greek letters alpha and omega, the other four segments with floral ornaments; a laurel wreath to the edge; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Old Babylonian Clay Cuneiform Tablet, a Letter From a Local Governor in Arrapha to His Colleague in Ešnunna,
Sold for (Inc. bp): £8,450
Written across two principal faces and three side edges, reading: 1-2) Say to Zakur-ahum, thus says Uzazza, your brother. 3) I have read the tablet you sent me. You wrote to me as follows: 4-5)'Five nomadic Suteans plundered the district of Zippat and I sent a troop. 6-7) I drove them back. I prevented them from taking anything. 7-8) So this troop left empty-handed. It is to be feared that they will go to the land of Arrapha and raise havoc, take action!' 11) This is what you wrote to me, and I rejoiced greatly. 12) In your tablet is written:'500 nomadic Suteans'. 13) Now, your servants whom you sent to me told me this: 14) 'A troop of 1,500 men has come. 15) Among them were many men with bows.'16 This is what they told me. Now never 17) have there been archers among the nomad-Suteans. 18) Is it not to be feared that the heavily-equipped 19) part of a foreign army is here itself comprising the nomad-Suteans with their bows? 20) The (result of the) divination I found said: 'Fire will devour the base of the reed.' 21) [...] its ... will not reach me. 22-23) [Now], shall I rejoice over the heavily equipped troop (that is) there? 24) [...]. 25-26) Now investigate this troop. 26-27) Send a full report urgently one way or the other, 28-29) so that I may circulate [a swift messenger] so that 29-30) the whole country may be gathered [in my fortresses] and so that I may take action. 31-33) Moreover, earlier, nomadic Suteans assaulted the palace cowherds one evening and 33-34) carried away all the cows from the palace. They left nothing behind. 35-36) There are none left, including the cows they had been entrusted with that evening. The next day, 37) a rescue troop (sent) by Ašrum, in pursuit of them 38) went as far as the banks of the Euphrates, but 39 returned empty-handed. 39) Another thing, 40) concerning what you wrote to me: 41-42) 'Looters set up a siege instrument- kalbanatum against a fortified farm and killed people. In addition, they carried off ten oxen. 43) And Ašrum went in there. Check that 44 their oxen no longer disappear.' This is what you wrote to me. 45-46) Now, shall I rejoice in this matter, or shall I [not] [...] them [...]. 47-48) Now, is there a plunderer who can plunder on my watch? Now, when I hear (about them) 49-50) and as soon as I send a message, do I not put them on the pal? No doubt 51-52) these people are foreigners, but you consider them to be Arrapha inhabitants! Now, precisely according to what you've written to me, 53-54) I'm going to send a fast messenger to the very interior of Arrapha and carry out a check. ; repaired. -
Uruk Clay Pictographic Tablet Bearing an Economic Text Relating to Farm Produce
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,100
Written over two faces; lentoid cross-section. -
Italic Bronze Triple-Disc Cuirass
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,360
Matched pair of Samnite triangular breast and backplates, a suite of 'triple-disc' type, each with three repoussé panels with carinated rim, flat spandrel above and curved on the lower sides, with perforated edges to affix to a separate mail garment; rivetted loops to the shoulders for attachment of supporting straps, and similar lateral loops with portion of round-link chain in situ; mounted on a custom-made stand. -
Roman Bronze Legionary Helmet with Inscription
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,100
Montefortino helmet with bulbous domed skull and a plain crest knob with flattened top; plain and flat neck guard with thickened rim; the front with punched Latin inscription 'A N CFN'; the surface largely covered in marine encrustations; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. -
Exceptional Neolithic Flint Dagger
Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,980
Finely knapped lentoid-section dagger with lateral recesses and square butt; old collector's label '281'. -
Massive Stone Age British Bifacial Lanceolate Flint Handaxe
Sold for (Inc. bp): £10,400
Long blade with small portion of cortex at the upper end, sharply tapering point with edges worked from both sides. -
Viking Age or Earlier Hacked Gold Trade Ingot
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
A slightly bent irregular bar of hacked gold with rectangular cross-section, showing evidence of compression and fracture to each end, some subtle transverse lines on both of the main surfaces. -
Anglo-Scandinavian Viking Bronze Three-Dimensional Urnes Stirrup Apex Mount
Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
The substantial heater-shaped plaque with spectacular openwork Urnes style design, the standing beast with entwined tendrils, pronounced head at the apex, narrow ledge to the reverse and rivet holes to each corner with two rivets remaining. -
Medieval Glass Beaker with Prunts
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,800
Of tubular form with flared rim and applied collar to the foot, applied trails to the sidewall and four rows of prunts with applied blue-glass ornament. -
Medieval Gold Ring Set with Gemstones
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
With a slender D-section hoop, bevelled rectangular cell set with a garnet cabochon; satellite settings at the corners, each with a green cabochon (one absent), the ring preserved in the same condition as it was when found. -
'The Fressingfield' Medieval Gold Ring with Diamond
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
With plain circular hoop and square diamond-shaped bezel with replicant natural diamond crystal. -
'The Wingham' Gold 'Fortune Favours the Brave' Posy Ring
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
Broadly rectangular in cross-section and constructed from two sheets of gold; the external hoop carrying an etched decorative design comprised of a row of eight-armed stars in relief with a prominent horizontal line connecting the stars; the internal hoop with Latin inscription in block capitals reading '+FORTES FORTVNA IVVAT' translating to 'fortune favours the brave/strong'; straightened.
-
Hellenistic Gold Eros Earrings
Circa 2nd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £975
Each formed as a round-section hoop with applied facing winged figure of Eros modelled in the half-round, the figure with granulation to the pubic area, wearing arm-rings and bracelets in his arms and a granulated necklace. 3.24 grams total, 18-21 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Proto-Etruscan Gold Repousse Mount with Bosses
11th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Comprising three horizontal rows of embossed dots, divided by pearled framework, three fastening holes on both sides, two later added gold loops to enable the piece to be worn as a pendant. 4.89 grams, 54 mm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
The embossed decoration finds parallels with embossed bronzes from Coste del Marano, where the model of a small boat is decorated in repoussé with the same bosses divided by similar dotted lines. -
Greek Core-Formed Glass Juglet
Circa 4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Black glass with yellow dragged-trail detailing to the body, small disc foot; oinochoe-type pinched spout and applied strap handle to the rear; cracked and repaired. 67 grams, 74 mm high
Ex Korban Gallery, 1970s. Ex P. A., Hertfordshire, UK, specialist collection of Greek art, 1980-1990s. -
Hellenistic Cut-Glass Skyphos
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,850
Drum-shaped frosted glass vessel on a low basal ring, lateral loop handles each with and angled spur below and fish-tail plaque above; 247 grams, 18 cm wide
Acquired in the 1980s. with Christopher Sheppard, London, UK. Acquired from the above in 2007. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11954-210906. -
Roman Marbled Amber Glass Vase
4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Of squat carinated form, slender tapering neck with everted rim, decorative white marbling over the body. 47 grams, 85 mm high
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private collection since 1998. -
Roman Turquoise Glass Pyxis
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
With a broadly barrel-shaped body, everted foot and shoulder, domed inverted neck; areas of iridescence; repaired. 42 grams, 85 mm high
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private collection since 1998.
Originally used principally by women to hold cosmetics, jewellery or even poisonous substances, some pyxides have even been identified as ink pots. Most surviving examples are green terracotta examples. -
Roman Bronze Antinous Balsamarium
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,405
Comprising the bust of Antinous or Bacchus (Greek Dionysus); the head modelled in the round, hair with voluminous waves, semi-naturalistic facial features, muscular neck and chest, two loops at the sides for the handle, silver inlaid eyes restored with black glass pupils. 300 grams, 10 cm
Acquired on the German art market before 2000. From an EU collection before 2020.
The balsamarium (ointment or balsam container), is a modern term reflecting the Roman use of relatively small vessels as containers for aromatic oils, or storing and dispensing cosmetic liquids and/or scented powdered substances. These vessels were produced in the first three centuries of the Roman Empire in a variety of forms, including busts and animal shapes. The present balsamarium testifies to the power of imperial imagery and its dissemination across the empire, as the vessel portrays Antinous, Emperor Hadrian's ‘favourite’, whose untimely death in a boating accident led to his deification. The general facial characteristics of our figure are consistent with the stylistic portrait features of late antiquity and the personal features of Antinous, here appearing with large almond-shaped eyes, set into slightly upturned, incised pupils. -
Late Roman Redware Oil Lamp With Daniel Standing
North African, 5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
With a lug handle and oval elongated body, two central filling-holes flanking the image of prophet Daniel enclosed within a decorative shallow border; two thin concentric circles on the base, possibly a blurred potter’s mark to the middle. 196 grams, 14.5 cm
From the collection of the French archaeologist Suzanne Gozlan, 1921-2022.
The lamp belongs to the type Atlante X or Hayes II A. The so-called Christian lamps in Terra Sigillata Africana have been classified by Hayes into two major types, I and II. He has distinguished two classes in his type II, according to geographic place of manufacture or origin. Subtype II A group lamps from central Tunisia are characterised by a fine clay, glossy light orange slip, and carefully executed decoration using a great number of neatly drawn shoulder motives. -
Roman Bronze Strigil with Leaf Design
2nd century B.C.-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
With C-section profile to the blade, rectangular handle with lateral flanges. 44 grams, 22 cm
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private Swiss collection since 1998. -
Roman Bronze Dancing Sol Statuette
Circa 1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
Standing nude on one leg on a cuboid socle base, the other leg raised and extended, right arm raised and bent, hand open to accept a sceptre, left arm extended with patera in the open hand, short mantle to the shoulders, hair and rays framing the face. 57 grams, 72 mm including stand
Acquired on the German art market before 2000. From an EU collection before 2020. -
Large Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Reflector
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Cup-shaped body with socketted lotiform discus and central filling hole, tapering nozzle with volute scrolls to the rim, D-shaped finial; loop handle and piriform reflector with low-relief ornament of an urn with vine scrolls and perching birds; mounted on a custom-made stand. 257 grams total, 18 cm wide including stand
From the private collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK, 1969-1999; thence by descent. -
Romano-British Bronze Bound Bearded Captive Mount
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,300
Depicted as a bearded man from the Eastern Empire, seated and naked apart from a pointed cap on his head, with rope binding the hands together and extending around the neck, feet also bound; hole through the back and side for attachment. 28 grams, 51 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.