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LOT 0554
Villanovan Bronze Artefact Collection
IRON AGE, CIRCA 8TH CENTURY B.C.
3/4 - 3 1/2 in. (162 grams total, 18.5-90 mm).
Mixed group of fragmentary artefacts, including bows from leech brooches and pins. [12, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
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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Phoenician Terracotta Bulla with a Dolphin
5th century B.C.Estimate: £120 - 170 (‡+bp*)
Current Winning 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. -
Greek Terracotta Oil Lamp
Cyprus, circa 4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Round body with raised rim on the filler hole, long tubular nozzle, and gently flaring foot; collection label on the base '4th c. BC, M6'. 60.5 grams, 80 mm
Private 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. -
Greek Terracotta Model Fruit and Vegetable Group
4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Including pomegranates, apples and a gourd. 989 grams total, 4.5-18.7 cm
Estate of Mr Bruno Fellinger (1926-2016), Küsnacht, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland.
