Hellenistic Gold and Coral Pendant with Dolphins

With globular lower body supporting a broad and slightly waisted tubular neck with everted rim, D-shaped spur to the forward face, strap handle to the rear with flat-section thumb-pad, trumpet-shaped foot; the thumb-pad and rim with painted bands of pointillé decoration, rim with muti-linear radiating bands, vertical bands to the neck formed with hatched lozenges, hatched horizontal and vertical bands to the lower body and wavy linear bands beneath the foot; old collector's reference '15.76' to underside; 535 grams, 19.5 cm



Formerly part of the Cesnola collection. this item has a red-ink inscription to the base suggesting it may have been deaccessioned from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. with Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 26 May 1982, no.411. with Christie's, New York, 11 June 2003, no.95 (part). From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages.

Comprising: two with globular body, broad neck and flared rim, pierced lugs to the shoulders, bands of incised hatching; one with rounded underside, broad neck and everted rim, pierced lugs to the shoulder, horizontal broken lines and zigzags. 1.27 kg total, 9.7-15 cm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

In the Early Bronze Age, the most common form of Cypriot jars was the round-based, two-handled variety, with the handles attached on the vertical plane.

Comprising discoid cells each with shallow sidewall and flange rim, granule collar with radiating clusters. 1.62 grams total, 19 mm each



From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s.