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LOT 0083
Greek Pottery Sherd with Inscription Above Hercules Wrestling a Warrior
ATTIC, CIRCA 5TH CENTURY B.C.
2 1/2 in. (8.37 grams, 64 mm).
Fragment from a large vessel showing Hercules wearing the Nemean lion skin in close combat with a bearded warrior, Greek inscription above.
ProvenanceFrom an old Belgian collection, circa 2000.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0083
Greek Pottery Sherd with Inscription Above Hercules Wrestling a Warrior
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
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Archaic Greek Bronze Statuette of a Coiled and Rearing Snake
Archaic, 6th-5th century B.C.Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,500
Modelled in the round with coiled body and rearing head, barbed fin to the forehead, punched annulet texturing on the body. 312 grams, 11 cm
Private collection, Neuchâtel, Switzerland, assembled in the 1980s. Acquired in 1995 by a European private collector. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12856-241689.
Snakes were important symbols in ancient Greek culture and were often linked with protection, healing, and renewal. Because they shed their skin, they were seen as a sign of rebirth and new life. They were also connected with gods and spirits of the earth and underworld, and in some cases were thought to protect the home or sacred places. In Greek art, a snake could therefore carry both religious and symbolic meaning. -
Greek Gold Amuletic Bird
5th-1st century B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Comprising a sheet-gold hollow-formed avian figure with applied filigree detailing, and a separate beaked head; accompanied by a rectangular blue glass fragment. 0.57 grams, bird: 19 mm
Private collection, USA and Switzerland, acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s; thence by descent. -
Phoenician Terracotta Bulla with a Dolphin
5th century B.C.Estimate: £120 - 170 (‡+bp*)
Opening 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.
