Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History & Coins

Comprising eight radiating enamelled lanceolate cells with central stud; pin-lugs, pin and catch to reverse; the enamel restored. 9.21 grams, 32 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

Discoid with chamfered edge, standing youth on a baseline with patera in one hand, sword at his hip, enigmatic legend above 'HICAPH[.]K'. 3 grams, 20 mm



Acquired in 1994. Private collection, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12867-241734.

Comprising a bulbous body with a low basal ring, a tapering tubular neck with a flanged collar, and a strap handle to the rear. 312 grams, 19.5 cm



From the private collection of Mr Brian Edwards, New Malden, Surrey, UK, formed from the late 1970s-early 1980s; thence by descent. Accompanied by the original collector's data sheet with reference no.A60.

Composed mainly of oblate and annular beads, the central feature with larger beads, restrung. 12.7 grams, 30 cm



Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s.

Featuring a flat-section hoop and an oval bezel with a standing lion. 1.13 grams, 17.18 mm overall, 16.46 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J 1/2, USA 5, Europe 9.32, Japan 9)



From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.

Comprising a plaque of three conjoined lobes with segmented border; at the top, a loop with segmented rim; vignette with a nude male with shoulder-length hair embracing a taller bearded figure with kilt and mantle to left shoulder (Hercules?); below, a satyr with horns and goat's legs beset by hunting dogs. 286 grams, 13.8 cm



Acquired in 1992. Private collection, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12865-241702.

Vessel mounts of this form are not a commonly recovered artefact type, and the presence of two figures instead of one is a very singular feature. We can presume that the mount was attached to a vessel of large dimensions and of a certain importance.

A mixed group of ceramic bullae, tesserae or theatre tokens bearing low-relief motifs, mainly consisting of profile busts of deities. 29 grams total, 14-25 mm



From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.

The term 'tessera' was used in Roman times to convey the Greek term σύμβολον (token). Small tiles are known as tokens, often shaped like coins, made of metal (copper, lead, iron), clay, bone, wood, or glass, stamped as well as engraved. The tokens, however, are not exclusively coin-shaped, as the Latin term 'tessera' suggests by etymologically referring to a square or at least a four-sided shape and confirmed in several cases by material remains of the past. Tokens and tesserae seem to have been used both in Athens and Rome for the distribution of goods. According to written sources, the term token is identified with credentials of the official authorities. They have also been interpreted as tokens of identity, as entrance tickets to theatre performances, tribunals or assemblies of citizens, archival material of seal engraving, as pawns in games, Charon’s obols and even as amulets.

Ellipsoid black glass plaque with profile female bust, hair dressed in a chignon. 1.82 grams, 18.58 mm



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00011371.

Penannular flat-section body with chevron decoration. 13.7 grams, 55 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

An irregular fragment showing concentric banding and a stylised Christogram motif. 49 grams, 83 mm



Acquired on the UK art market from the 1990s. From the private collection of a Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

Formed of rectangular-section bar with overlapping, flared terminals, hatched decoration. 30.5 grams, 56 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

Hexagonal in plan with tall tubular neck and flared and folded rim, disc base with moulding seams; broad sloping shoulder above a sidewall of panels each with a low-relief avian image (bird in flight, bird perching on a branch, etc.). 31 grams, 80 mm



Ex private collection, Israel. Acquired from Archaeological Center, Auction 60, no.204. Private collection. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Archaeological Center online catalogue page. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12530-232177.

Roman opaque glass attributed to the Sidonian workshops represents one of the most technically sophisticated achievements of early Imperial glassmaking. Produced in the Levant, long a centre of innovation, the workshops at Sidon were renowned for their mastery of colour chemistry, using controlled additions of antimony-and-tin-based opacifiers to create surfaces resembling fine stone or enamel. These vessels were not merely utilitarian objects but markers of status, admired in antiquity for their vibrant hues and precision of manufacture. Examples such as the present piece illustrate the transition of glass from a luxury comparable to carved hardstone to an art form that could be shaped, coloured, and refined with unprecedented freedom, underscoring the pivotal role of Sidon in the evolution of Roman glass technology.