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

Parallel-sided blade with thick butt, triangular in section. 55.8 grams, 96 mm



Found near Cissbury Ring Iron Age Hill Fort, near Worthing, West Sussex, UK, September 1947. This knife was 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.

Leaf-shaped in plan and triangular in section, with tapering end and flat butt. 34.2 grams, 71 mm



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.

Leaf-shaped edge scraper with old painted legend 'Craiglwyd / Penmaenmawr / 19.8.39'. 255 grams, 14.2 cm



Found Graiglwyd, Penmaenmawr, 19 August 1939. 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.

Cordate type with flake removed from centre of the underside; inked legend 'Pierrepont 14 / 22-4-93'. 69.5 grams, 61 mm



Found Pierrepont, Calvados, Normandy, France. Acquired on the UK art market in the 2020s. From a private collection.

Attributed to the Neanderthal man. An interesting example where the handaxe has also been used to strike off a flake across the middle of the reverse. This is sometimes seen during the Mousterian period and is a beneficial use of material when wanting to create a tool for the current job. The handaxe would have continued to be used and re- sharpened as normal. Dual-sided contrasting patina.

Group of mainly piriform and barbed arrowheads, in an old matchbox with handwritten paper label 'Arrowheads / Antrim' amd similar to one end of sliding tray. 19.6 grams total, 27-41 mm



Found Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK. This collection was 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.

Leaf-shaped in plan and biconvex in section with a sharp point, raised at the centre; inked inscription 'Libya'. 458 grams, 17 cm



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

A substantial flint core 'Livre de Beurre' with vertical traces of blows on the work side, slightly rounded blade; with a label reading 'Livre de Nulei beurre. Neolithikum Mittelfrankrreibh Gebiet zwischen Tours u.Pettries'. 883 grams, 14.5 cm



Found Gran Pressigny, France. Ex old German collection of Dr J. Fehkhaber, formed in the 1970s. From the private collection of an East Anglian, UK, specialist collector.

Flat mudstone pebble with crazed surface, natural hole near one edge. 77.3 grams, 64 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.

Group of five triangular tanged arrowheads, two with square-ended barbs. 17.98 grams total, 25-43 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.

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.

Plano-convex in section with cortex to upper face, inked inscription to underside 'Chapel Field 31-3-53'. 37 grams, 62 mm



Found Caple Field, near Farnham, Surrey, UK, 31st March 1953. 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.

Ovate handaxe in dark and light brown stone; repaired. 1.41 kg, 25.8 cm



From Central Sahara, Africa. Ex old German collection formed in the 1970s by Dr J Fehkhaber. Acquired on the European art market.

Triangular in section with rounded butt and narrow tip; inked notation 'Watts Lane 1/30' and '132 026/P'. 178 grams, 13 cm



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.