Bactrian Style Lapis Lazuli Bead Necklace

Showing a royal figure on the left, holding the reins of his caparisoned horse, at the centre a yogi beneath an arch with a tree behind and two bovines gazing at him, tufts of long grass in the foreground with multiple faces emerging between the blades; set on a display stand. 258 grams total, 15.1 cm wide including stand



From the collection of David Donlan (1947–2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from the 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery.

D-section hoop with scroll design, large bezel with tendril decoration underneath, set with a lapis lazuli intaglio with a fantastical beast motif. 8.80 grams, 30.14 mm overall, 18.20 x 17.69 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)



London, UK, collection, 1980s-1990s.

Oval banded agate intaglio engraved with Eros riding a hippocampus through the waves and wielding a whip in his hand; set in a later gold ring with openwork shoulders. 4.57 grams, 25.29 mm overall, 17.36 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13)



Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13348-257957.

The term hippocampus originates in the Renaissance, from Julius Caesar Arantius. He originated the term from the Greek word for seahorse (hippos [‘horse’] and kampos [‘sea monster’]). Arantius published his description of the hippocampus in 1587, in the first chapter of his work titled De Humano Foetu Liber.