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Click here to subscribeAn early 20th century enamelled plaque with cartoon figure of a girl dancing, initialled 'BJ' and dated March 1920, 14.5cm x 20cm together with an Irene Dunne 'The Mud Lark 20th century Fox Production' bronze plaque in a fitted caseCondition report: Enamelled plaque with some surface scratches and small marks
A Victorian mahogany brass bound dressing box, 36.5cm wide x 25.5cm deep x 14cm high with mirror fitted within the lid and lift out tray with fitted compartments together with a 19th century hardwood jewellery box, a penwork correspondence box; a small bronze of a duck and her ducklings after Mene, 15cm long and a cast resin erotic sculpture, 11cm longCondition report: The dressing box with minor marks, dents and scratches overall due to age and use, some minor deterioration to the fittings within with some slight losses to leather and scud marks where lift out top has rubbed; the penwork correspondence box with deterioration to the surface; the jewellery box with possible later fittings within; the bronze of the duck with bent wingtip and further minor marks; other sculpture in reasonable condition
A pair of 20th century bronze Chinese lidded censors of archaic form, 23cm high together with a pair of silver salts, a pair of Middle Eastern engraved ewers, various silver plate and a cast bronze ornament in the form of a shallow lidded urn with scrolling handles, 12cm highCondition report: One bronze censor with a dented leg, all metalware suffering from some oxidisation (some severely), wear to the silver plate, minor marks and damages overall
A 19th century burrwood tea caddy, 30.5cm wide (lacking interior) together with a pair of Cantonese porcelain vases (damages), a pair of pewter art nouveau vases, a pewter art nouveau jug, a glass fish, a Chinese bronze circular mirror 11cm diameter (damages) and three various boxes (12)Qty: 3Condition report: At present, there is no condition report prepared for this lot, this in no way indicates a good condition, please contact the saleroom for a full condition report
A late 19th century Medaille de Bronze brass mantle clock with white enamel dial and single winding hole, extensively decorated with square dome top and finials, the sides decorated with door knocker style medallions, inscription to the front reads 'To Mr J Chisholm from Attendants and Nurses of PDA on the occasion of his marriage, 23.8.99', 14cm wide x 14cm deep x 37cm highCondition report: Surface scratches to the brass, small crack to one corner of dome, more scratches to back of clock, pendulum present, not tested
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic. An attractive ceremonial axe head with a rectangular blade and wide, cylindrical shaft tube. On the back a solid bronze lion climbing the poll of the axe. The diligently worked out muscular body is fixed on the shaft. Custom-made stand included. Bronze weaponry production flourished from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, mace heads, spears and arrows were exchanged via trade and war and are discovered in both civic and ritual context. An axe head such as this one would have been an important symbol of rank, and have served a purpose in warfare, but also in religious contexts as mace heads were common votive offerings in shrines. Provenance: Private UK collection; Formerly acquired on the European art market from pre-2000 collections. Size: L:110mm / W:50mm ; 385g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic. A bronze axe head with a curved blade, triangular cheek and a heavy, circular socket. Bronze weaponry production flourished from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, mace heads, spears and arrows were exchanged via trade and war and are discovered in both civic and ritual contexts. An axe head such as this one would have been an important symbol of rank, and have served a purpose in warfare, but also in religious contexts as axe heads were common votive offerings in shrines. Most of the Western-Asiatic bronze items have been recovered in funerary contexts. Custom made stand included. Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:127mm / W:52mm ; 600g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic. Cast axe head comprising of a tubular socket with ribbed borders, a scroll to the upper edge and bulb below, a collar can be seen above the lower rim. The asymmetrical swept blade has a convex edge. Bronze weaponry production flourished from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, mace heads, spears and arrows were exchanged via trade and war and are discovered in both civic and ritual contexts. An axe head such as this one would have been an important symbol of rank, and have served a purpose in warfare, but also in religious contexts as mace heads were common votive offerings in shrines. Cast butted axes are hallmarks of Western-Asiatic bronze weaponry during the First Iron Age Period, between 1200 and 1000 BC. Most of Western-Asiatic bronze items have been recovered in funerary contexts. Custom made stand included. Provenance: Private UK collection; From an old London collection formed in the 1990s. Size: L:82mm / W:84mm ; 135g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic/Aegean. A stunning bronze sword with an elongated leaf-shaped blade, raised midrib, rounded guard and tubular grip with crescent-shaped decoration. The hilt finishes in a D-shaped pommel. Good condition; beautiful patina; custom-made stand included. Bronze weaponry production flourished in western Asia, the Aegean, and mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Greek Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:580mm / W:93mm ; 930g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic/Aegean. A large and well-formed bronze blade with a central raised ridge that bifurcates at the base of the blade and a sturdy tang ending cast in one piece with the blade. Beautiful patina, good condition; on a custom stand. Bronze weaponry production flourished in Western Asia, the Aegean, and mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Greek Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. To find out more about Archaic Greek swords, see Warry, J. (1995). Warfare in the classical world: An illustrated encyclopedia of weapons, warriors, and warfare in the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:510mm / W:78mm ; 565g
Ca. 800–500 BC. Western Asiatic. An outstanding Western Asiatic / Achaemenid bronze wine bowl with a slightly flaring rim; a beautiful, dark polish enhances the entire surface. This gorgeous piece attests to the highly skilled craftsmanship of ancient Western Asia, where artisans worked to create intricate tableware for use in elaborate banquets. Banqueting was a major part of the aristocratic culture in antiquity and required a range of specialised utensils and vessels such as this one. Such items could also have religious purposes, used when making offerings to the gods. Excellent condition, beautiful patina. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: L:50mm / W:175mm ; 200g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic. A fine example of a cast bronze mace head with a flat tip, the cylindrical body- probably placed around a wooden or less decorated metal staff into the socket beneath the mace head- features five neat rows of spikes running horizontally down the piece. The head terminates in a reinforced, rounded socket. The base is flared. Bronze weaponry production flourished from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, mace heads, spears and arrows were exchanged via trade and war and are discovered in both civic and ritual contexts. An axe head such as this one would have been an important symbol of rank, and have served a purpose in warfare, but also in religious contexts as mace heads were common votive offerings in shrines. Provenance: Private Oxfordshire collection; Formerly acquired on the European art market from pre-2000 collections. Size: L:140mm / W:55mm ; 605g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic. A finely modelled Western-Asiatic cast bronze double axe head, composed of a long, tubular socket with four ribbed borders, a convex axe blade and an adze blade to the rear. The socket is decorated with an anthropomorphic face, rendered in an extremely stylised manner with big, wide-open eyes. Bronze weaponry production flourished from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, mace heads, spears and arrows were exchanged via trade and war and are discovered in both civic and ritual contexts. An axe head such as this one would have been an important symbol of rank, and have served a purpose in warfare, but also in religious contexts as mace heads were common votive offerings in shrines. Cast spike-butted axes are hallmarks of Western-Asiatic bronze weaponry during the First Iron Age Period, between 1200 and 1000 BC. Most of the Western-Asiatic bronze items have been recovered in funerary contexts. Custom made stand included. Provenance: Private UK collection; Formerly acquired on the European art market from pre-2000 collections. Size: L:120mm / W:47mm ; 335g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic/Aegean. A bronze sword with an elongated leaf-shaped blade, raised midrib, and short tang for insertion into a hilt. Good condition, beautiful patina; custom-made stand included. Bronze weaponry production flourished in western Asia, the Aegean, and mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Greek Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. For more information, see Moorey P. R. S. (1971). Catalogue of the Ancient Persian Bronzes in the Ashmolean Museum. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 88–89 & Muscarella, O. W. (1988). Bronze and Iron: Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 103-104. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:470mm / W:45mm ; 305g
Ca. 100 -200 AD . Roman A beautiful bronze panther with a slender, stretched body, the front paws resting on a small platform. The panther's ears are pricked, the eyes are bulging, and the mouth is open, showing a long tongue. The neck is adorned with wine leaves. In ancient Greek mythology, the panther was commonly associated with the god Dionysus, who used a panther as his preferred mount – a wonderful mosaic of the god riding a panther was discovered at Pella, ancient Macedonia (see Lilimpaki-Akamati 2004, 25). That this might be a votive statuette for the god of wine is corroborated by the wine leaves around the panther's neck. Similar piece sold at Christie's: https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5546897 Provenance: Private UK collection; From an old British collection formed in the 1980s. Size: L:68mm / W:28mm ; 156.5g
Ca. 1100–1300 AD. Seljuk. A beautiful bronze mortar of octagonal form with flattened rim and flared foot, two sides with lion's head suspension loops with ring handles, the remaining six with triangular bosses, the pestle of flaring elongated form with ribbed handle and bulbous finial. The Seljuks were a ruling military family of the O?uz (Ghuzz) Turkic tribes that invaded southwestern Asia in the 11th century AD and eventually founded an empire that included Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and most of Iran. Their advance marked the beginning of Turkish power in the Middle East. The Seljuk dynasty died out at last early in the 14th century. To find out more abou the Seljuks, see Christian Lange and Songül Mecit (2011). The Seljuqs: Politics, Society, and Culture. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: L:145mm / W:150mm ; 2.5kg
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Greek Archaic Period, Bronze Age. A bronze spearhead with a lanceolate-shaped blade with flaring shoulders, a raised midrib, and a short flared neck that transitions into a tang. Bronze weaponry production flourished in Western Asia, the Aegean, and Mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Greek Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. Good condition, on a custom-made stand. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:113mm / W:23mm ; 30g
Ca. 800–500 BC. Western Asiatic. An outstanding Western Asiatic / Achaemenid bronze wine bowl with a slightly flaring rim; a beautiful polish enhances the entire surface. This gorgeous piece attests to the highly skilled craftsmanship of ancient Western Asia, where artisans worked to create intricate tableware for use in elaborate banquets. Banqueting was a major part of the aristocratic culture in antiquity and required a range of specialised utensils and vessels such as this one. Such items could also have religious purposes, used when making offerings to the gods. Excellent condition, beautiful patina. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: L:80mm / W:270mm ; 1.2kg
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic. An attractive ceremonial axe head with a slender blade curving downward and cylindrical shaft tube. On the back a stylized animal figure, probably a lion, is climbing the poll of the axe. Custom-made stand included. Bronze weaponry production flourished from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, mace heads, spears and arrows were exchanged via trade and war and are discovered in both civic and ritual context. An axe head such as this one would have been an important symbol of rank, and have served a purpose in warfare, but also in religious contexts as mace heads were common votive offerings in shrines. Provenance: Private UK collection; Formerly acquired on the European art market from pre-2000 collections. Size: L:110mm / W:130mm ; 605g
Ca. 1000–600 BC. Bronze Age. A beautiful, heavy cast bronze bracelet features a wide band with a D-shaped section. The bracelet's band is decorated with engraved line decorations, while the terminals each bear two deeply incised dot-in-circle motifs. In Bronze Age societies bracelets were used not only as jewellery but also as ritual objects of high value, which allowed their owners to store wealth before the invention of coinage. Such bracelets are discovered in burials as grave gifts or found in large hoards, and an important part of the Bronze Age cultures in both Europe and Asia. Provenance: Private UK collection; From an old London collection formed in the 1990s. Size: L:75mm / W:80mm ; 190g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic/Aegean. A bronze spearhead with an elongated leaf-shaped blade and barbs, wide raised midrib, and a short socket that transitions into a small tang for insertion into a haft. Good condition, beautiful patina; a custom-made stand is included. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:162mm / W:30mm ; 45g
Ca. 2000–1000 BC. Western/Central Europe. A bronze single-edged sickle blade with a rounded tip and a short handle to the end. Sickle blades were used for utilitarian and agrarian purposes but could perhaps also double as a battlefield weapon. The curved blade has a single sharpened edge along the interior periphery, a thick spine with a shallow fuller, and a short tang end. Provenance: Viennese collection 1980s-2000s. Bought by a London private collector in Vienna in 2002. Size: L:194mm / W:60mm ; 240g
Ca. 1100–700 BC. Western Asiatic. Bronze vessel with globular body, ring foot and short L-shaped, elongated spout. This gorgeous piece attests to the highly skilled craftsmanship of ancient Western Asia, where artisans worked to create intricate tableware for use in elaborate banquets. Banqueting was a major part of the aristocratic culture in antiquity and required a range of specialised utensils and vessels such as this one. Such items could also have religious purposes, used when making offerings to the gods. Excellent condition, beautiful patina. Provenance: Property of an Oxfordshire art professional; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1980s on the UK / International art markets. Size: L:115mm / W:200mm ; 315g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic/Aegean. A bronze spear with an elongated leaf-shaped blade with a raised midrib, sharpened edges that taper gradually to a pointed tip, short socket, and a tang for insertion into a haft. Good condition, beautiful patina; custom-made stand included. Bronze weaponry production flourished in Western Asia, the Aegean, and mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Greek Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. For more information, see Moorey, P. R. S. (1971). Catalogue of the Ancient Persian Bronzes in the Ashmolean Museum. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 88-89 & Muscarella, O. W. (1988). Bronze and Iron: Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 103-104. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:113mm / W:25mm ; 25g
Ca. 3000–2000 BC. Indus Valley Civilisation. Beautiful set of three terracotta jars. The smallest one is standing on a ring foot. The interior is decorated with black painted running ibexes, surrounded by geometric motifs and concentric black lines. The one on the left is decorated with stylised felines, a tree, geometric motifs and concentric black lines. The largest one is also decorated with stylised felines, trees, geometric motifs and concentric black lines. The Indus civilization, also called the Harappan civilization, is the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent and was an important Bronze Age culture that arose around ca. 3300 BC and lasted until ca. 1300 BC. It extended from modern-day northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India. The nuclear dates of the civilization appear to be about 2500–1700 BC, though the southern sites may have lasted later into the 2nd millennium BC. Large numbers of ceramic vessels decorated with black slip have been found among the sophisticated urban settlements of South Asia's protohistoric Indus Valley civilization. The walls of this jar are so thin that it must have been created on a potter's wheel. Perhaps the best-known artefacts of the Indus civilization are a number of small seals, generally made of steatite depicting a wide variety of animals, both real—such as elephants, tigers, rhinoceros, and antelopes—and fantastic creatures. Sometimes human forms are included. A few examples of Indus stone sculpture have also been found, usually small and representing humans or gods. There is a fair number of small terra-cotta bowls decorated with figures of animals like the present item. To find out more about the Indus civilisation and its material culture, see Possehl, Gregory L., 2002. The Indus Civilization: a Contemporary Perspective. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: L:Set of 3; 70-95mm / W:65-120mm ; 665g
Ca. 100 AD. Roman. A bronze situla with gently curved concave sides, two riveted attachment plates with a loop at the rim to take the slender parabolic handle which is threaded through them and twisted back on itself. Good condition, beautiful patina. Situlae were bucket-shaped libation vessels with a handle of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age in Europe, whose function was most probably as containers of wine for ceremonial or festive occasions. These sacral vases are found in a large geographical area, i.e. in the Egyptian, Cretan, Etruscan and Roman civilizations. Of particular note are an outstanding series of bronze buckets from northern Italy and around the head of the Adriatic, dating from the late 7th to the early 4th-century BC, ornamented with elaborate human and animal scenes in a style known as situla art. To find out more about situale, see Kastelic, J., Gr?evi?, M., Kromer, K., & Mansuelli, G. (1965). Situla art: Ceremonial bronzes of ancient Europe/ with contributions by Karl Kromer and Guido Mansuelli. London: Thames & Hudson. Provenance: Private UK collection; From an old British collection formed in the 1980s. Size: L:190mm / W:200mm ; 1.1kg
Ca. 3000–2000 BC. Indus Valley civilisation. An interesting terracotta storage jar, amber coloured. The exterior is decorated with black painted running ibexes, surrounded by geometric motifs and concentric black lines. The Indus civilization, also called the Harappan civilization, is the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent and was an important Bronze Age culture which arose around ca. 3300 BC and lasted until ca. 1300 BC. It extended from modern-day northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India. The nuclear dates of the civilization appear to be about 2500–1700 BC, though the southern sites may have lasted later into the 2nd millennium BC. Large numbers of ceramic vessels decorated with black slip have been found among the sophisticated urban settlements of South Asia's protohistoric Indus Valley civilization. The walls of this jar are so thin that it must have been created on a potter's wheel. Perhaps the best-known artefacts of the Indus civilization are a number of small seals, generally made of steatite depicting a wide variety of animals, both real—such as elephants, tigers, rhinoceros, and antelopes—and fantastic creatures. Sometimes human forms are included. A few examples of Indus stone sculpture have also been found, usually small and representing humans or gods. There is a fair number of small terra-cotta bowls decorated with figures of animals like the present item. To find out more about the Indus civilisation and its material culture, see Possehl, Gregory L., 2002. The Indus Civilization: a Contemporary Perspective. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. Provenance: Private collection of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: L:80mm / W:110mm ; 285g
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic/Aegean. A bronze spearhead with an elongated leaf-shaped blade and barbs, wide raised midrib, and a short socket with linear decoration that transitions into a small tang for insertion into a haft; a custom-made stand is included. Bronze weaponry production flourished in Western Asia, the Aegean, and mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Greek Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. For more information, see Moorey, P. R. S. (1971). Catalogue of the Ancient Persian Bronzes in the Ashmolean Museum. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 88- 89 & Muscarella, O. W. (1988). Bronze and Iron: Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 103-104. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1970s Size: L:159mm / W:28mm ; 40g
Ca. 1300–1200 BC. Shang dynasty. A beautiful bronze jia tripod vessel comprising a flaring rim, inward sloping neck, flaring shoulder and flat bottom supported by three wedge-shaped legs. A single strap handle is attached to one side of the vessel and two posts with conical casts rise from the rim. A decorative frieze runs around the neck of the vessel, just above the shoulder, and depicts stylised taotie masks. The taotie are mythological creatures commonly appearing in ancient Chinese art, where they are commonly associated with the Four Evils of the World, a motif fitting for a vessel that would have been used for holding food on ritual or ceremonial occasions. Jia with this form and decoration are typical of the Anyang period (ca. 1300-1030 BC) and a comparable example can be seen in Shang Ritual Bronzes in the National Palace Museum Collection, Taipei, 1998, pp. 152-7, no. 9. A similar, less well-preserved object was recently sold at Christie's, see https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-bronze-ritual-tripod-wine-vessel-jia-6276463-details.aspx?from=salesummery&intobjectid=6276463. This piece has undergone X-Ray Fluorescence analysis by an independent Belgian Laboratory. The samples collected show the chemical composition to reflect the typical metal contents of the described period, whilst also showing no modern trace elements in the patina. Provenance: UK private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong. Size: L:290mm / W:210mm ; 1.6kg
Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic. A bronze dagger with a long, bevelled blade, folded-in guard, concave handle that would have been inset with stone, bone or ivory, and a crescent moon-shaped pommel; custom-made stand included. Bronze weaponry production flourished in Western Asia, the Aegean, and mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Greek Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. For more information, see Moorey, P. R. S. (1971). Catalogue of the Ancient Persian Bronzes in the Ashmolean Museum. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:316mm / W:33mm ; 270g
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