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LOT 0557
Greek Bronze Swan-Headed Wine Strainer
5TH CENTURY B.C.
10 3/4 in. (159 grams, 27.4 cm).
Cup-shaped body with flared and curved rim, flat-section handle with swan-head finial; the body with pierced rosette pattern.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12233-222331.
Cf. similar item in the British Museum, London, under accession no.1878,1012.24, excavated in Galaxidi.
FootnotesThe Agora excavations in Athens have yielded a large number of funnels, Hellenistic and Roman, which tend to be of a basically similar type, though of course with variations. Perhaps the most important feature of all these funnels is that they were made for use and not for show. The bronze specimen found in Galaxidi is very similar to our strainer.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0557
Greek Bronze Swan-Headed Wine Strainer
Estimate £2,500 - 3,500€2,900 - 4,060 (for guidance only)$3,380 - 4,730 (for guidance only)
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Greek Red-Figure Bell Krater Belonging to the Chevron Group
Apulian, 4th century B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,389
With reserved herringbone band beneath the rim, wave pattern to be the baseline; Side A: young man with thyrsus and pendant streamer holding a phiale, a loose mantle draped from the elbows; Side B: head of a lady of fashion with white accents to her stephane and hair drawn up in a chignon, a volute and window before her. 1.11 kg, 23.2 cm wide
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.13071-249285.
Bell kraters were commonly used in regions of ancient Italy for mixing and serving wine during communal gatherings, thanks to their wide shape and flared mouth. These vessels also served as artistic expressions, reflecting the cultural tastes of the time. The Chevron Group is the conventional name for a group of ancient Apulian red-figure vase painters who were active in Southern Italy between approximately 335-310 B.C. They are named for their distinctive use of a band of chevron patterns to encircle the rims of the small kraters (mixing vessels) they decorated. -
Greek Black-Figure Alabastron with Fish Scale Pattern, Possibly Attributed to the Bulas Group
Attic, early 4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
Ovoid shape with short neck and expanded flat rim; painted with horizontal bands with vertical strokes on the shoulder, fish-scale pattern below and running scrolled tendrils; horizontal stripes below. 87 grams, 13 cm
partially repainted
Collection of M. Bouvier, Switzerland (1901-1980), Switzerland. Bouvier was a law professor in Alexandria prior to 1930. with Christie's, London, 7 October 2010, no.117. Private collection, 2010. Accompanied by an original thermoluminescence analysis report no.N125q42 by Oxford Authentication. Accompanied by copies of the 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 a search certificate number no.13008-246447.
The alabastra of the Bulas Group display scale-like patterns. They were painted with slip, a liquid clay which vitrifies when fired. This group is usually dated to the late 5th – early 4th century B.C. It was named after Kazimierz Bulas, who was the first to study them in depth in the 1930s. He characterised various shapes according to their decorative techniques (nets and floral patterns) and their functions. -
Greek Bronze Openwork Pendant Collection
Geometric Period, circa 9th-7th century B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Comprising: eighteen pendants, each with tubular shank and open-ended bulb finial with five lateral vents, some with incised circumferential bands; one similar with dense crosshatching to the shank and bulb, four radiating spurs to the mouth; two larger pendants of similar form, one with six slots to the bulb and the other with seven; all mounted on a felt-backed display board. 2.16 kg total, 43 x 33 cm
A.de Munter collection, Brussels, acquired in the 1970s. with Jürgen Haering, Freiburg. Private collection, Europe, acquired from the above 2018.
These pendants may have been part of horse harness decoration.