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LOT 2003
Marlik Style Terracotta Potbearer
20TH CENTURY A.D.
11 7/8 in. (1.92 kg, 30 cm).
Modelled standing and holding a bulbous spouted container in his extended hands, stylised head with projecting ears and open mouth; repaired. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection of Dr Alvin M. Soffe (c.1922-1995) and Elizabeth Ann Soffe, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, acquired circa 1960s-1970s, thence by descent.
Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00256668.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 2003
Marlik Style Terracotta Potbearer
Estimate £200 - 300€230 - 350 (for guidance only)$270 - 410 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£5 (EUR 6; USD 7) +BP*
-
Museum Quality Replica of a Panel Showing a Theme from a Trojan Cycle in the British Museum
21st century A.D.Estimate: £30 - 40 (+bp*)
Bids: 2 | Current Bid: £20
Resin casting of a figural panel depicting a group of three men manoeuvring a model horse on wheels towards a city gate blocked by a female with arms raised to the heavens; stepped lower edge forming the base; suspension bracket to reverse. 1.37 kg, 22 cm wide
From the collection of David Donlan (1947-2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery. -
Marble Figure of a Bear
20th century A.D.Estimate: £50 - 70 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Carved in the round in advancing pose with head turned. 800 grams, 12 cm
Abelita collection, 1980-2015. Private collection, London, UK. -
Renaissance Gold Ring with Toadstone
Western Europe, 16th century A.D.Estimate: £8,000 - 10,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £4,000
Featuring a round-section large hoop expanding towards the shoulders, a large circular bezel with a Greek key motif encircling the outer rim and set with a brown 'toadstone'. 13.01 grams, 32.42 mm overall, 23.12 x 19.25 mm internal diameter (approximate size British V 1/2, USA 10 3/4, Europe 24.4, Japan 23)
Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13398-257996.
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, circa 1599: 'Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.' Toadstones are mythical stones that were thought to be found inside the head of a toad. They were believed to sweat, change colour or even heat up in the presence of poison. It was thought that a toadstone placed on bites from snakes, insects, spiders and shrews would extract poison from the wound. They were thought to bring good luck and ward off evil, whether in the present life or in the afterlife. The Book of Secrets from the 13th century recommends swallowing the stone to 'cleanse the bowels of filth and excrements'. The stone could then be retrieved and used again. They were often set as amulets and talismans, a practice that continued in Europe until the 18th century. Toadstones are actually the button-like fossilised teeth of Lepidotes, an extinct genus of fish common in the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods, 200 to 100 million years ago.
