Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History, Stamps & Coins

Ovate in plan with a broad cutting edge and a rounded butt, two inked collection numbers '4003/1/25(?)' and '1836 S.N.C 7.82. W (?).' 161 grams, 74 mm



Previously in several old Stone Age tool collections, having been annotated with two different accession numbers. Acquired from an Oxfordshire, UK, auction house. From the private collection of a West Midlands lady collector.

Slender and tongue-shaped with broad edge, plano-convex in section with cortex to narrow butt; pencilled legend to underside 'Res...ly / MAB [...]'. 147 grams, 12.8 cm



Found during the original official excavations in the Farnham area, Surrey, UK, which were conducted by Harold Faulker (1875-1963), and William Francis Rankine (c.1877-1962), who were instrumental with the excavation works and pit dwellings at sites including Six Bells, Frensham, Tilford, Thursley and Bagshot, and Waverley, amongst others at and near Farnham in the 1930s and 1940s. Much of the material is now in the prestigious Farnham museum. The present part of the collection having been gifted to their good friend and Haselmere Parish Priest, Charles Borelli (c.1914-2000) of Farnham; who was part of the Borelli family from Italy who emigrated from Lake Como in 1828 to set up the Borelli family watch and jewellery business; thence by family descent to his nephew.

Farnham district is one of the most interesting prehistoric regions in England, and has been visited by a succession of prehistoric peoples from Palaeolithic times onwards. Along the southern slope of the Farnham valley are three gravel terraces, which are famous prehistorically and have yielded large quantities of flint implements and bones of prehistoric animals, notably the mammoth. In prehistoric times, the chalk deposits played an important role in attracting settlers, as they contained rich layers of flint nodules used to make implements. The Farnham Gravels have been an abundant source of Palaeolithic finds, most prominent being hand axes. The axes differ in type, and each type is associated with a cultural phase of the Palaeolithic period. Types similar to these are found in similar deposits in the Somme valley and in many English valley gravels. Flint mining was also carried out by the Neolithic folk. Polished axes and leaf forms, arrowheads and knives, or possibly lance heads, are characteristic of the Neolithic flint work.

Long, thick-butted body with curved blade; two inked collector's notes on one side 'Denmark. CD.61' and 'Denmark (monogram)'. 615 grams, 20 cm



Found Denmark. From the collection of Martin Doyle, Leverstock, UK, 1980s-2000s.

Dressed on all faces, symmetrical in profile with elongated, trapezoidal plan and rectangular cross-section; slightly curved broad sides, slanting neck with slightly rounded cutting edge; narrow faces with traces of retouching, broad faces partly polished at forward end, rear retouched for attachment of the haft; grey flint (silex), marbled in various shades of grey. 663 grams, 18 cm



Ex Dr Siegfried Zimmer, circa 1950.

Triangular in plan, with a bulb at the base; made by Neanderthals. 36.2 grams, 69 mm



From Yonne, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Region of France. From a large French collection built up in the early 1900s. Acquired on the European art market. From a private collection.

Lozengiform in plan with thick butt, in dark red quartzite. 588 grams, 17.5 cm



From the Northern Sahara, North Africa. From a collection formed during the 1970s and 1980s, having been acquired on the British art market; thence by descent to the current owner in 1998.

Comprising: a large blade with cortex to one face; small tongue-shaped scraper; leaf-shaped hanaze in orange-tan with narrow point; biconvex-section cleaver with rounded butt. 397 grams total, 4.6-11.9 cm



From the private collection of a Sussex, UK, gentleman.

Mixed group of various types, including barbed, tanged, a curved dagger, and others; set in a glazed box frame. 2.09 kg total, 44.7 x 44.7 cm includimg frame



From the collection of Martin Doyle, Leverstock, UK, 1980s-2000s.

Lanceolate in profile with narrow butt, broad edge. 131 grams, 12.1 cm



Found during the original official excavations in the Farnham area, Surrey, UK, which were conducted by Harold Faulker (1875-1963), and William Francis Rankine (c.1877-1962), who were instrumental with the excavation works and pit dwellings at sites including Six Bells, Frensham, Tilford, Thursley and Bagshot, and Waverley, amongst others at and near Farnham in the 1930s and 1940s. Much of the material is now in the prestigious Farnham museum. The present part of the collection having been gifted to their good friend and Haselmere Parish Priest, Charles Borelli (c.1914-2000) of Farnham; who was part of the Borelli family from Italy who emigrated from Lake Como in 1828 to set up the Borelli family watch and jewellery business; thence by family descent to his nephew.

Farnham district is one of the most interesting prehistoric regions in England, and has been visited by a succession of prehistoric peoples from Palaeolithic times onwards. Along the southern slope of the Farnham valley are three gravel terraces, which are famous prehistorically and have yielded large quantities of flint implements and bones of prehistoric animals, notably the mammoth. In prehistoric times, the chalk deposits played an important role in attracting settlers, as they contained rich layers of flint nodules used to make implements. The Farnham Gravels have been an abundant source of Palaeolithic finds, most prominent being hand axes. The axes differ in type, and each type is associated with a cultural phase of the Palaeolithic period. Types similar to these are found in similar deposits in the Somme valley and in many English valley gravels. Flint mining was also carried out by the Neolithic folk. Polished axes and leaf forms, arrowheads and knives, or possibly lance heads, are characteristic of the Neolithic flint work.

Slender body with a rounded blade, inked collection number '4163/1/28'. 179 grams, 11.3 cm



Previously in an old Stone Age tool collection, having been annotated with an accession number. Acquired from an Oxfordshire, UK, auction house. From the private collection of a West Midlands lady collector.

Roughly triangular in plan with a narrow point, inked Hugh Fawcett collection monogram and notes 'North America 60-69'. 5.81 grams, 38 mm



Ex Dr Hugh Alderson Fawcett (1891-1982), a general practitioner and antiquarian who built up an important collection of ancient implements, weapons and ornaments. From the collection of a West Sussex collector. Acquired from the UK art market in the 2020s.

Dr Hugh Alderson Fawcett (1891-1982) was a general practitioner and antiquarian who built up an important collection of ancient implements, weapons and ornaments. The bulk of his collection is now in the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, but Fawcett previously sold or traded some examples. His distinctive monogram and careful recording of provenance make his pieces readily identifiable.

Ovate in plan with a rounded cutting edge, possibly natural, two old collection notes 'S.N.C. 1.82 WGS' and '3977/1/28'. 355 grams, 11.7 cm



Previously in several old collections, having been annotated with two different accession numbers. Acquired from an Oxfordshire, UK, auction house. From the private collection of a West Midlands lady collector.