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

Formed with pinched stub arms, a pinched head crowned with a headpiece and two strands of hair framing an elongated neck; remains of geometric detailing in painted pigment; repaired. 100 grams, 14.5 cm



Ex Prof. Hans Dahn (1919-2019), Swiss Chemist, Lausanne; acquired 15 July 1958 in Basel (Inventory Inv.GT 5).

Modelled as a standing female figure on a raised rectangular base, wearing a peplos with the left foot stepping forward, one hand holding a flower(?). 196 grams, 18.5 cm



Ex Prof. Hans Dahn (1919-2019), Lausanne; acquired 15 July 1958, from Roussos, Basel; Dahn's list no.205.

Modelled as a hollow torso nude of a youthful male, with a beardless face, full lips, tall nose and almond-shaped eyes; short curly hair with a thick wreath including a rosette, folded fabric draped over the right hand; mounted on a custom-made stand. 327 grams total, 15 cm including stand



Ex Prof. Hans Dahn (1919-2019), Lausanne; acquired 12 March 1954 from Donati in Basel (Dahn's list no.105).

It remains a matter of debate who these clay symposiasts- characterised by their specific, sometimes very imaginative headdresses- represent. They have been variously interpreted as Dionysos, heroised deceased persons or representative images of the urban elite. The type was particularly popular in Taranto. The recumbent man probably held a kantharos in his left hand and wore a coat that was tightly wrapped around his left arm.

Comprising two figures modelled in the round and dressed in long robes, one of a girl with shoulder-long locks wearing a headdress, one of a boy with a hair knot on top; repaired, some parts absent. 85 grams total, 90-95 mm



Ex E.S., Southern Germany, collected between 1970-1990. with Helios Numismatik, prior to 2010.

Formed as a nude kouros, hands raised to touch the elaborate palmette sitting atop the boy's head, his face framed by a thick fringe, his hair, held by a band, falling down his back in serpentine waves; the figure standing with legs held close together, broken at mid-shin; a palmette-shaped fixing plate projecting at the back with two holes for rivets to attach to the broad, shallow dish which would have been used for libations. 178 grams total, handle: 17.3 cm high, 23.5 cm high including stand



Private collection UK (N.E.), acquired prior to 1970, and thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13550-263433.

Anthropomorphic handles with images of young naked boys connected with animals were widespread and used for mirrors. The object, in particular, is part of the group of mirrors and paterae with standing youths (male and female, probably symbolising athletes) and nude female mirror caryatids (Mitten-Doeringer, 1968, figs.87-88) serving as vertical handles.

Youthful male standing, wearing a belted tunic with apron, arms spread wide, barefoot, bare-headed with short textured hair; mounted on a custom-made base. 215 grams total, 11.8 cm high including stand



Private collection, Paris, France, assembled in the 1950s-1960s. with Tessier-Sarrou & Associés, Paris, 2015. European private collection. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00107108. Accompanied by a copy of French cultural export passport no.167803. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate no.12650-264612.

This type of statuette demonstrates Phoenician influence on the Iberian Peninsula and relates to the 'warrior deity' type of Levantine origin, while also incorporating purely Iberian stylistic traits. Such works form part of the broader context of Near Eastern craftsmanship introduced to the Iberian Peninsula by the Phoenicians.

Standing with arms held straight at the sides, short hair with neck-ring to rear, short-sleeved tunic with pleats to centre-front and rear, wide belt; perhaps a monumental fitting; gas permeation to rear right leg; mounted on a custom-made stand. 77.8 grams total, 10 cm including stand



Private collection, Paris, France, assembled in the 1950s-1960s. with Tessier-Sarrou & Associés, Paris, 2015. European private collection. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00107108. Accompanied by a copy of French cultural export passport no.167803. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate no.12651-234613.

The youth’s broad shoulders are reminiscent of archaic Greek kouros figures, here in a specifically Iberian expression. The broad egg-shaped head has widely spaced, deep-set, flat oval eyes and lips of similar form.

The nude hero depicted with a slender yet muscular body, the right arm angled and raised, the pierced hand probably once held a club, the left leg thrust forward energetically, lowering the hip line and emphasising the dynamic movement of the composition, the navel indicated by an engraved circular line, the knees marked by vertical incisions; the oval face characterised by eyes represented by triangular depressions, a narrow nose, a wide mouth whose slightly irregularly shaped lips separated by an incision, and a pointed chin; the short, cap-like hair detailed with fine incisions. 146 grams total, 12.6 cm high including stand



Ex Erika (1934-2025) and Jakob (1927-2025) Binkert, Binningen, Switzerland; inherited from Jakob's father, August Binkert-Textor (1896-1979), between 1940-1970, Basel. with Jean-David Cahn AG, Basel, Auction 2, 26 June 2000, no.239B; thence by descent.

Votive bronze from a Sabellian workshop in the typical local style. The Sabelli lived in the Samnium region (southern Apennines), where the cult of Heracles, as in Etruria, was widespread.

Comprising: two sheet silver phalerae, each with a facing gorgoneion motif and fragments of a third; sheet-silver roundel with a lotiform rosette motif. 14.2 grams total, 31-50 mm



Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK

Similar phalerae were manufactured in the Greek workshops of Olbia or the northwestern Black Sea Region, including the Bosphorus and Asia Minor. These pieces were the top decorations of domed phalerae, used by Hellenistic horsemen, Thracians and Sarmatians. They were characterised by a variety of border designs, while, although rare, some of them have the upper part decorated with a frieze of horizontally arranged floral patterns. The image of Gorgon-Medusa is very common.

Broad and shallow with thick rolled rim; parcel-gilt band to the inner face below the rim of running scrolls on a pounced field; to the centre, a hexafoil reserved on a pounced field with border of running scrolls; pointillé cursive Aramaic inscription to the outer face. 413 grams, 20.6 cm wide



Private collection, London, 1990s or earlier. with Gorny & Mosch, 22 June 2007, no.37. with Christie's, New York, 5 December 2012, no.52. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Gorny & Mosch and Christie's catalogue pages. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13217-250131.

The bowl is related to a large group of Hellenistic silver vessels of similar shape, some with Aramaic inscriptions on the exterior beneath the rim, all thought to be of eastern origin, produced within the Seleucid Empire. Here, the Aramaic inscription, now mostly unreadable, reports the name of the maker and the weight of the bowl as 118 zuzim.

Each a filigree hoop with free-running ring and articulated joint to the domed stud; hollow-formed sheet gold dove with applied filigree and granulation collar, cell to the chest with inset garnet cabochon, perching on the scrolled capital of a column; supplied in a presentation box. 10.08 grams total, 51-52 mm



Acquired from Derek Content, 8 July 1976 ($3,800). Private collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent. Accompanied by a handwritten invoice/letter with references from Derek Content for the piece, dated 8 July 1976. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13421-259832.

The earrings belong to the class of figure-pendant type, which was popular in Greece from the 4th century B.C. The Hellenistic period shows a distinctive spirit in the varied designs of these little earrings. One of the most employed motifs was that of the dove, which owed its popularity in close connection with the cult of Aphrodite.

Matched pair of hooked wire earrings, each with an inset cabochon, articulated dangles and other ornaments. 5.15 grams total, 46 mm each



Private American collection, 1970s-1980s. with Robert Haber, New York, USA, circa 1990s. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, 8 September 2004. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13187-249264.

This pair belongs to the Hellenistic group of earrings with pendants, a broad group including pendants shaped as amphorae, birds, erotes and other exotic elements. Most of them come from sites around the Aegean or the Eastern Mediterranean and were probably produced in workshops in these regions. They usually date from the 2nd to the 1st centuries B.C.