Greek Terracotta Oil Lamp

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.

Conical in profile with a rounded apex, aqua glass with three incised bands below the rim on the inner face. 380 grams, 16 cm wide



Dr Jutaro Kawabe, Nagoya, Japan, his collection formed in the 1960s-1970s. with Hoshigaoka Gallery until the late 1990s. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12949-245243.

On ancient glass, iridescence is the soft play of colour that develops as the surface ages and becomes silica-rich. Minute layers form over time and break light into shifting blues, greens and golds. It is not a modern finish but something time has drawn out of the material itself, so the pattern and palette are unique to each piece. Collectors prize good, stable iridescence because it lifts the form: ribs read more crisply, profiles glow, and simple vessels take on depth and movement. Museums now tend to preserve these surfaces rather than polish them away, recognising both their beauty and what they tell us about an object’s long life (though it is not, by itself, a dating test). For display, iridescent glass performs brilliantly under gentle, directional light, where the colours “turn” as the vessel is moved. Well-preserved, even iridescence of this quality is not common and adds materially to the presence—and desirability—of the piece.

Elongated piriform amphora shape, tubular neck and everted rim, decorated with polychrome festooning and trails, applied amber-green handles and knop foot. 152 grams, 18 cm high



Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private collection since 1998. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12206-222129.