Phoenicio-Punic Terracotta Goddess Tanit Figure

Discoid and convex with concentric rings to the upper face, knop handle with central recess. 34.6 grams, 77 mm



From the private collection of Mr Brian Edwards, New Malden, Surrey, UK, formed from the late 1970s-early 1980s; thence by descent.

Modelled in the round in the form of a ram lying with its legs folded beneath the body, head turned with hooked horns, collar to the neck with a large pellet pendant; ribbed suspension loop behind the shoulders, mounting lug beneath the trunk. 12.87 grams, 30 mm



Private collection, acquired on the European art market in 2002. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, 8 June 2004. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13204-249215.

The ram, a male symbol, was associated with various divinities. Turned into a ram as a child by Zeus, and a common sacrifice to the god, the ram was a symbol of Dionysus, which he shared with Aphrodite. Ram heads and pendants frequently occur in jewellery. In the animal kingdom, Eros favours the cockerel and the ram, both of which are indicative of sexual potency.

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.