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

Triangular in plan with one corner chipped, fine retouch to both sides. 28.9 grams, 73 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 in the 2020s. From a private collection.

Folded record card with affixed flint microliths; headed 'Frensham Great Pond (South) November 1947'; field divided into six sections, each with two or three flints attached with thread (one detached but still present); handwritten note at bottom right and more to reverse. 30 grams total, 18-61 mm



Found Frensham Great Pond (South) in November 1947. Found during the original official excavations in the Farnham area, Surrey, UK, which were conducted by Harold Falkner (1875-1963) and William Francis Rankine (c.1877-1962), who were instrumental in 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 leaf-shaped in plan and triangular in section, with one tapering and one cut end. 19.55 grams, 10 cm



Found in Dordogne, France. Ex M G Georgeon. Acquired on the UK art market. From the private collection of an East Anglian, UK, specialist collector.

Blade with parallel sides, concave area with re-touch, naturally backed for grip. 134 grams, 13.5 cm



Found Fontmaure, Vienne department, France. Ex collection of the famous UK musician and amateur archaeologist, Victor Brox (1941-2023). Acquired on the UK art market at auction after being sold by Mr Brox’s family. From the private collection of an East Anglian, UK, specialist collector.

Made by Neanderthal. From the well-regarded site of Fontmaure

Tongue-shaped in plan with one rounded and one flat end. 180 grams, 13.9 cm



Found Norfolk, UK. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.

Flint core with several flakes glued back in place to demonstrate working process; inked legend 'Warren flaking technique reassembled', and '69' to end. 138 grams, 72 mm



Found Warren, near Farnham, Sussex, UK. Found during the original official excavations in the Farnham area, Surrey, UK, which were conducted by Harold Falkner (1875-1963) and William Francis Rankine (c.1877-1962), who were instrumental in 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.

Comprising mostly bifacial and uniface leaf-shaped and piriform flint and chert arrowheads; probably from the Sahara region of North Africa. 114 grams total, 24-41 mm



Ex UK gallery, early 2000s.

Tongue-shaped in plan with facets to the upper face, broad butt, old inked legend 'Suffolk 9.A'. 22.4 grams, 58.4 mm



Found Suffolk, England, UK. From the collection of Mr G.A. From a private collection.

Two narrow blades with median ridge to the upper face, small burin; each marked 'Pike O' Stickle' in ink. 105 grams total, 4.5-12.3 cm



Gifted to 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.

Lunate in plan and triangular in section with pointed end. 20.7 grams, 73 mm



Found during the original official excavations in the Farnham area, Surrey, UK, which were conducted by Harold Falkner (1875-1963) and William Francis Rankine (c.1877-1962), who were instrumental in 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.

With narrow rounded butt and an eccentric curved cutting edge. 111 grams, 85 mm



Found El Golea, Algeria. Ex old German collection of Dr J. Fehkhaber, formed in the 1970s.

Comprising mostly bifacial and uniface leaf-shaped and piriform flint and chert arrowheads; probably from the Sahara region of North Africa. 146 grams total, 19-49 mm



Ex UK gallery, early 2000s.