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LOT 0578
Greek Gold Sphinx Earring
3RD-2ND CENTURY B.C.
1 in. (2.55 grams, 26 mm).
A single gold earring composed of a twisted wire hoop, stylised bust of a sphinx with detailed breast and lion paws.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
Cf. Dimitrova Tonkova, 'Hellenistic Jewellery from the Colonies on the West Black Sea Coast,' in Archaeology in Bulgaria, Vol.1, no.1, 1997, pp.83-102, figs.5, 7, pl.IV, no.4, pl.V, nos.1,2, pl.VI,3 for the type.
FootnotesEarrings with a sphinx represent a variety of the earrings created by the Hellenised goldsmiths of the Black Sea area. These figures usually had an inlaid garnet and are dated between late 3rd and 2nd century B.C. They belong to the category of earrings with a female head, often visible in graves of the Black Sea area and not always of good quality.
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Etruscan Bucchero Sottile Kotyle
Late 7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
A bucchero sottile kotyle, a deep drinking vessel of early type, decorated with a rouletted fan pattern above, incised triangles radiating from the base, with panels of geometric line decoration to the centre; skyphos-like handles to either side; some restoration. 213 grams, 10.5 cm high
American collector before 2000. Property of a Spanish gentleman. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. Accompanied by a copy of a Spanish cultural export licence.
This vessel was likely to have been made in a workshop in Cerveteri, belonging to the category of the so-called bucchero sottile, (thin bucchero, 675-625 B.C.) although some were produced at Tarquinia, and many distributed as far as Carthage and beyond. Decoration of this kind of kotyles (Rasmussen type c) are composed of simple groups of horizontal and vertical lines. Closed fans, whether horizontal or vertical, may be included at handle-level, below the usual pair of lines below the rim. -
Greek Bearded Hermes Head
1st -2nd century A.D.Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £20,000
A carved marble head of Hermes with densely curled hair, stern facial expression beneath a broad brow, luxuriant curled beard falling in waves and cut square at the lower edge; mounted on a custom-made display stand; a Roman copy after a 5th century B.C. Greek original. 32.2 kg total, 52 cm high including stand
Slot to top of head.
with Chaucer Fine Arts Ltd, 1980s. English private collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Marina Mattei and Dr Laura Maria Vigna. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11615-199747.
This type of this archaic sculpture can be traced back to the original of which many copies and variants have been preserved: the Hermes Propylaios by the Attic sculptor Alkamenes, a pupil of Phidias, active in the second half of the 5th century B.C. According to some theories, the herma was created for the Propylaea of the acropolis of Athens, as patron deity of doors and entrances; according to others, this type of bearded Hermes is not to be located at the Propylaea, but in various possible places inside the Acropolis. -
Greek Seal Ring with Centaur
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
A copper-alloy ring composed with a slender hoop with large elliptical bezel, engraved with a centaur rearing left. 5.80 grams, 24.33 mm overall, 20.62 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK.
