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LOT 0556
Greek Bronze Bird Figure
8TH CENTURY B.C.
1 5/8 in. (21.9 grams, 42 mm).
Amuletic pendant formed as a perching bird with long neck and stub legs, loop to the back.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
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AUCTIONS:
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Greek Gold 'Golden Fleece' Ram-Horn Pair
5th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,240
A matched pair of sheet-gold model ram's horns, each curved with a narrow end flattened, ribbed body, flared rim to the mouth with applied granule detailing; probably from a representation of the χρυσόμαλλον δέρας or 'golden fleece' from the legend of Jason and his adventures with the crew of the ship Argo. 60.61 grams total, 10.5 cm each
From a private collection of seals and amulets, the property of a Canadian gentleman living in London; from his father's collection formed in the late 1960s to 1980s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13105-249639.
The legend of the Golden Fleece is referenced by several ancient writers, including Pindar, whose reformulation forms the basis of most modern retellings, but an earlier version was evidently familiar to Homer in the 8th century B.C. It appears as a pictorial theme on early Greek vases. The story refers to a celestial winged ram with golden wool, which was believed to live and be worshipped by the inhabitants of lands north of the Black Sea; this ram, in some versions of the tale, is transformed into the constellation Aries. -
Etruscan Carnelian Scarab with Hercules at a Fountain in Gold Ring
3rd century B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Hoop made from D-section wire with coils to the shoulders, scarab bezel with carapace detailing and intaglio of a standing nude figure of Hercules holding a club and amphora at a stream, enclosed by a roped border. 5.73 grams, 22.52 mm overall, 18.68 x 16.58 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)
Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, England. -
Greek Red-Figure Bell Krater with Satyr and Eros
Apulian, circa 450-400 B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,667
With laurel-leaf wreath beneath the flared rim, band of meander ornament as a baseline; Side A: striding satyr with torch and oinochoe followed by Eros holding a scroll behind; Side B: woman wearing a himation in active pose with sphere advancing towards a tendril. 814 grams, 20 cm
Acquired on the art market between the late 1990s and mid-2000s. Estate of the late Barry Paul Buxton (1944-2024), Oakham, Rutland. Acquired on the UK art market, 2025. 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 no.13070-249284.
Often, the iconography of an 'elevated' mythological subject was applied to members of Dionysos' retinue. Here we have three typical examples of them: a satyr, an Eros, and a woman, all three behaving according to Bacchic ecstasies.
