Bronze Statue of the Warrior of Riace

A Georgian-era 15 carat gold and silver 'poison' ring, composed of a slender hoop of scrolls and crescents with a plain panel at the base, expanding shoulders formed as openwork foliate flourishes set with small stones; oval cluster bezel set with a central cushion-cut emerald weighing approximately 4.06 cts, held in a pierced setting with twisted gold wire collar, and surrounded by rose-cut diamonds; hinged bezel revealing a secret compartment beneath, the reverse domed and engraved with a stylised shell motif. 10.02 grams, 28.41 mm overall, 17.91 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)



Acquired from Platt Boutique Jewelry, Inc., West Hollywood, California, USA, 2016. Property of an East Sussex collector. Accompanied by a copy of the Platt Boutique Jewelry invoice. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11668-197586.

'Poison rings' became popular in Europe during the 16th century, and Lucrezia Borgia is popularly believed to have used one. The compartment within the bezel was used to conceal poison, a lock of hair or other substances.

A marble head carved naturalistically in the round with cropped hair, wearing a taenia headband seemingly featuring Greek key motif; possibly representing a deity, a muse or even a female satyr; mounted on a carved stone base. A marble head carved naturalistically in the round with cropped hair, wearing a taenia headband seemingly featuring Greek key motif; possibly representing a deity, a muse or even a female satyr; mounted on a carved stone base.



with Arts D'Orient, Artcurial, Paris, 19 May 2014, lot 138. English private collection.

An architectural gilt wooden casket with hinged lid; the exterior with billeting, egg-and-dart ornament and gadrooning, flowering vegetal schemes over the whole; the two principal faces each with a central heater shield painted with heraldic devices, flanked by robed standing figures holding a book each within a niche and with a palmette motif above; remains of polychrome to the shields and elsewhere. 69.5 x 44.5 cm



English private collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11679-199810

The arms are quartered: or an eagle sable; sable a demi-lion rampant or issuant from a fess; sable a mullet of eight points or; or a lion's head erased sable; the repetition of the colours 'or' gold and 'sable' black may be due to the overall colour-scheme of the casket. The timber shows some old insect flight holes and we are advised that this piece has been recently treated with Permethrin, as a precaution.