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LOT 0584
Greek Bronze Bird Pendant
GEOMETRIC PERIOD, 8TH-7TH CENTURY B.C.
1 3/8 in. (14.7 grams, 35 mm).
Modelled in the round with a long beak and splayed, short legs, pierced through the upper body.
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0584
Greek Bronze Bird Pendant
Estimate £100 - 140€120 - 160 (for guidance only)$140 - 190 (for guidance only)
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Greek Black-Figure Miniature Amphora with Swan
Attic, 6th-5th century B.C.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,000
With two handles and an everted rim; parallel, vertical strokes on the neck and below a swan with its wings open and neck elegantly curved, a staff on the background. 57.1 grams, 76 mm
Swiss private collection, assembled in the 1960s and 1970s. Acquired by the present owner in 2004. 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 a search certificate number no.13019-246754.
The swan was a favoured motif in Greek art, admired for its elegance and associations with divinity and beauty. In mythology, the bird was sacred to Apollo, god of music and light, whose chariot was said to be drawn by swans on his annual journey to the land of the Hyperboreans. It was likewise linked to Aphrodite, symbolising love and sensuality, and appears in scenes celebrating harmony and the ideal of beauty. The swan also featured prominently in the myth of Leda and the Swan, in which Zeus, transformed into the bird, inspired numerous representations across Greek art. -
Greek Bronze Bow Brooch
Circa 7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Comprising a corrugated bow with coil to each end, one extending to the spring and the other to a broad plate with a catch at the lower end. 11.19 grams, 42.09 mm.
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Phoenician Terracotta Bulla with a Dolphin
5th century B.C.Estimate: £120 - 170 (‡+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £67
Plano-convex in profile with impressed dolphin and legend. 1.05 grams, 17.71 mm
Acquired in 1994. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
This Phoenician terracotta bulla, decorated with a dolphin, reflects the strong maritime identity of the Phoenician world. Bullae were typically used to seal documents or goods, serving both a practical and symbolic function in trade and administration. The dolphin, a creature closely associated with the sea, would have held particular meaning for the Phoenicians, whose culture and prosperity were deeply tied to seafaring and commerce across the Mediterranean. Often seen as a symbol of protection, guidance, and safe passage, the dolphin adds an additional layer of meaning to the object, suggesting not only its use in everyday transactions but also a connection to the wider beliefs and environment of the ancient coastal world.
