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LOT 0064
Thracian Silver Twisted Torc
5TH CENTURY B.C.
7 3/4 in. (221 grams, 19.7 cm).
Penannular torc twisted around its axis with tapering finials.
ProvenanceAcquired in the early 1970s.
Private collection, Suffolk.
See Hoddinott, R.F., The Thracians, London, 1981, for dicussion.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0064
Thracian Silver Twisted Torc
Estimate £600 - 800€700 - 930 (for guidance only)$810 - 1,080 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£300 (EUR 348; USD 405) +BP*
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Greek Terracotta Oil Lamp
Hellenistic, circa 3rd-2nd century B.C.Estimate: £40 - 60 (+bp*)
Bids: 1 | Current Bid: £5
Rounded body with large central filler hole and pointed lug on the shoulder, the rim with a low-relief ovolo decoration, elongated nozzle with scooped nozzle; low basal ring. 103 grams, 99 mm
From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
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Etruscan Amber Head Pendant
Etruria, 5th century B.C.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (+bp*)
Bids: 4 | Current Bid: £1,600
Carved from translucent red-brown amber as a profile head with stylised Archaic features, large almond eye beneath a defined brow ridge, a softly smiling mouth, and carefully delineated hair arranged in striated bands sweeping back from the face; a drilled perforation at the crown indicates its original function as a suspended ornament; accompanied by a display stand. 23 grams, 50 mm (242 grams total, 81 mm including stand)
Sotheby's, London, 14-15 December 1981, no.206. American private collection; acquired at the above sale. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13329-257968.
Amber was a prestigious imported material in Etruria, highly prized for its rarity, colour, and perceived apotropaic power. From the late 6th century B.C. onwards, figured amber pendants appear in elite tombs, particularly those of women, reflecting both personal identity and a protective role within funerary belief systems. The prominent, wide-open eye here may have served as a talismanic motif, thought to ward off malign forces and ensure the wearer’s vigilance and well-being in life and beyond the grave. This piece reflects the distinctive aesthetic of Etruscan amber carving, in which Mediterranean influences are reinterpreted with a locally expressive sculptural style. -
Greek Black-Glazed Twin-Handled Stemless Kylix with Swan
Apulia, 4th century B.C.Estimate: £600 - 800 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £300
Shallow with arched loop handles below the rim, low stepped foot; tondo with painted wreath of laurel leaves surrounding a standing swan in profile; to the outer face, two horizontal sprigs of laurel leaves; possibly by the Swan painter. 206 grams, 20.6 cm
Bonhams, Knightsbridge, London, 5 July 1994, no.43. Private collection, Suffolk. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams cataloguing pages.
