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LOT 0585
Greek Terracotta Oil Lamp
CYPRUS, CIRCA 4TH CENTURY B.C.
3 1/2 in. (80.5 grams, 88 mm).
Shallow, round body with everted rim on the filler hole, tapering nozzle and low foot. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection, Oxfordshire, UK, by direct descent from the collection of Judge George Cyril Griffith-Williams (1893-1983), Supreme Court Judge of the Colony of Cyprus; items having been collected in the 1930s and 1940s in Cyprus during his tenure there.
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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Etruscan Bronze Animal Figure
Circa 6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Modelled with an elongated body and raised tail, a small head with pricked ears, and pierced through the body. 17 grams, 44 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*)
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. -
Etruscan Bronze Lion Head
Central Italy, late 6th century B.C.Estimate: £7,000 - 9,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £3,600
A decorative fitting with roaring mouth and protruding fangs and tongue, the whiskers depicted in raised radiating ridges, with lidded, elongated almond-shaped eyes and small, round ears; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 1.11 kg total, 17.5 cm including stand
with Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2001, no.58. Donati collection, Lugano, prior to 1982. Collection of Banca della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, prior to 1986. Formerly in the Bourgknecht collection, Switzerland. Accompanied by Art Loss certificate no.S00123227. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.13230-249992.
This head was probably, as was the parallel head of the Barberini Tomb, originally attached to a magnificent bronze cauldron. These large cauldrons of hammered bronze were realised with the heads and necks of two lions and two gryphons attached to the rim. The cauldrons were spherical in form and rested on a stand.
