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A NEOLITHIC FRENCH FLAKED FLINT AXE, 15cm L x 6.5cm W

NEOLITHIC SCRAPING TOOLS IN DESERT GLASS TEKTITE/METEORITEFrom the Tenerean Culture, tool was worked circa 5,000 years ago. Fashioned out of ancient glass formed when a meteorite struck the Sahara Desert.

A COLLECTION OF TWELVE NEOLITHIC TOOLS FROM FRANCE (12) With ink labels for find spots.

NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL gemäss eines Aufklebers auf dem Stein ist der Fundort BaliL: 15 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEaccording to a label on the stone, place of discovery: BaliL: 15 cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL gemäss eines Aufklebers auf dem Stein ist der Fundort Ternas / Frankreich.L: 8 cm Provenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEaccording to a label on the stone, place of discovery: Ternas / France.L: 8 cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL L: 5,7 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEaccording to a label on the stone, place of discovery: Ternas / France.L: 5,7 cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

DURCHBOHRTES NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL L: 13 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEaccording to a label on the stone, place of discovery: Ternas / France.L: 13 cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

DURCHBOHRTES NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL gemäss eines Aufklebers auf dem Stein ist der Fundort Hostomice / Tschechien.L: 12 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEaccording to a label on the stone, place of discovery: Hostomiche / Czech Republic.L: 12 cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

ALT- BIS MITTELNEOLITHISCHER KEULENKOPF D: 8 cmLit: Eric Biermann: Alt- bis mittelneolithische Keulenköpfe und Bohrkernfunde. Mögliche Hinweise auf potenzielle Produktionszentren? In: Varia neolithica. IV, 2006. S. 95–112Eric Biermann: Keulenköpfe des Alt- und Mittelneolithikums in Deutschland. In: Varia neolithica. IV, 2006Provenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.OLD TO MIDDLE NEOLITHIC CLUB HEADD: 8 cmLit: Eric Biermann: Alt- bis mittelneolithische Keulenköpfe und Bohrkernfunde. Mögliche Hinweise auf potenzielle Produktionszentren? In: Varia neolithica. IV, 2006. pp. 95–112Eric Biermann: Keulenköpfe des Alt- und Mittelneolithikums in Deutschland. In: Varia neolithica. IV, 2006Provenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL gemäss einer Inschrift auf dem Stein ist der Fundort Calaceite in SpanienL: 11 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEAccording to an inscription on the stone, the place of discovery is Calaceite in Spain.L: 11 cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL mit alter Inventar-Nr.: G-37L: 16,5 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEwith old inventory number: G-37L: 16.5cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL mit alter Inventar-Beschriftung, nicht mehr lesbar, L: 14,5 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEwith old inventory labeling, no longer legible,L: 14.5cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL gemäss einer Inschrift auf dem Stein ist der Fundort GuatemalaL: 14 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEAccording to an inscription on the stone, the place of discovery is Guatemala.L: 14 cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

NEOLITHISCHES STEINBEIL L: 14 cmProvenienz: Sammlung des historischen Waffensammlers und Antiquitätenhändlers Otto Markés, Basel.NEOLITHIC STONE AXEL: 14 cmProvenance: Collection of the historical weapons collector and antique dealer Otto Markés, Basel.

A DARK GRAY POTTERY TRIPOD EWER, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Neolithic period, possibly Longshan culture, late 3rd-early 2nd millennium BC. The globular body molded with a strap handle, the top of which is attached to the upward-angled, pinched spout. The body is further applied above the tapering legs with a narrow, twisted rope band, a raised rectangular application incised with an X, and two raised loops for attachment.Condition: Good condition minor wear, light surface scratches, soil encrustations, minuscule nibbling, and a hairline crack to the handle.Provenance: German private collection.Weight: 285 gDimensions: Height 18.7 cm

A POTTERY VASE WITH TWIN HANDLES, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Neolithic period, 3rd-2nd millennium BC. The vessel with a flat base, the bulbous body surmounted by a waisted neck flaring to a wide mouth and applied with two handles joining rim to shoulder, the body incised with a triangular pattern, the handles with an X.Condition: Overall good condition commensurate with age. Some old wear, traces of weathering and aging, firing flaws, soil encrustations, minor nicks, surface scratches, cracks, and minuscule losses.Provenance: German private collection.Weight: 3.3 kgDimensions: Height 29.7 cm

A PAINTED POTTERY TWO-HANDLED JAR, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Majiayao culture, Neolithic period, 3rd-2nd millennium BC. The compressed globular jar tapering towards the foot, surmounted by a waisted neck with everted rim, flanked by two loop handles, the shoulders and neck painted in black and red with medallions filled with a hatched design.Condition: Overall fair condition commensurate with age. Some old wear, traces of weathering and aging, firing flaws, soil encrustations, minor nicks, surface scratches, minuscule losses, a restoration to the neck.Provenance: German private collection.Weight: 3.8 kgDimensions: Height 35.8 cmThe Majiayao culture was a group of smaller neolithic communities who lived primarily in the upper Yellow River region of eastern Gansu, Qinghai and northern Sichuan, China. The culture existed from c. 3300 to 2000 BC and marks the first time in history that the upper Yellow River region was widely occupied by agricultural settlements. It is famous for its painted pottery, which is regarded as a peak of pottery manufacturing at that time. Literature comparison:Compare a closely related pottery jar, dated to the Neolithic period, Majiayao culture, Machang phase, 2nd millennium BC, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1992.165.12.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2019, lot 1218 Price: USD 27,500 or approx. EUR 29,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A painted pottery two-handled jar, China, Neolithic period, Majiayao culture, Banshan type, 3rd millennium BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the related size (39.4 cm).

A PAINTED TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A ZEBU, MATURE HARAPPAN PERIOD, 2600-1900 BCIndus Valley Civilization. The humped bull standing foursquare, its head with large eyes, a short muzzle, and long curved horns, the animal further modeled with a tail. The eyes, horns, neck, and back encircled by brown-painted stripes.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minuscule nicks, minor losses, expected old fills, repairs, and encrustations.Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was an engineer and fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. Born as the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, the founder of Hettabretz, one of the most important leather merchants in Italy which crafted womenswear for royals and celebrities including The Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and created exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes archaic and contemporary art, focusing mainly on Asian ancient pieces. Over decades he developed close relations with galleries, museums, curators, and auction houses while shaping his collection. He edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. An old receipt from Bruno Cooper, Norwich, dated 4 December 2010, and describing the piece as a terracotta painted ox with basis, Mohenjo-daro civilization, 2nd millennium BC, accompanies this lot.Weight: 510.6 gDimensions: Height 14.6 cmThe Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age culture in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilizations of the Near East and South Asia, and of the three, the most widespread. Its sites spanned an area from northeast Afghanistan and much of Pakistan to western and northwestern India. The civilization flourished both in the alluvial plain of the Indus River, which flows through the length of Pakistan and along a system of perennial monsoon-fed rivers that once coursed in the vicinity of the Ghaggar-Hakra, a seasonal river in northwest India and eastern Pakistan. The cities of the ancient Indus were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and techniques of handicraft and metallurgy. Both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa likely grew to a size of 30,000 and 60,000 individuals, and the civilization may have contained between one and five million total population during its florescence. It is also known as the Harappan civilization, after its type site Harappa, the first to be excavated early in the 20th century in what was then the Punjab province of British India and is now Punjab, Pakistan. The discovery of Harappa and soon afterwards Mohenjo-Daro was the culmination of work that had begun after the founding of the Archaeological Survey of India in the British Raj in 1861. There were earlier and later cultures called Early Harappan and Late Harappan in the same area. The early Harappan cultures were populated by Neolithic civilizations, the earliest and best-known of which is Mehrgarh in Balochistan, Pakistan. Harappan civilization is sometimes called Mature Harappan to distinguish it from the earlier cultures.Terracotta figures such as the present lot have been unearthed at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, suggesting a commonality of style and purpose throughout the Indus Valley during the mature Harappan period (ca. 2600-1900 BC). In one excavated example from Chanu-daro a hole was poked in the belly, indicating that it would have been attached to a stick for use as a puppet or a small standard of the kind carried in the processions depicted on some seals. In others, the hole was indeed placed on the back of the animal, thus suggesting an alternative function, perhaps as part of a larger ensemble.Zebu cattle are thought to be derived from the Indian bos primigenius namadicus, a subspecies of the aurochs. Wild Asian aurochs disappeared during the time of the Indus Valley Civilization from their range in the Indus River basin and other parts of the South Asian region possibly due to interbreeding with domestic zebu and the resultant fragmentation of wild populations due to loss of habitat. Believed to have first been bred in northwestern South Asia, between 7000 and 6000 BC, they are understood to have been dispersed by 4000 BC and spread across much of South Asia by 2000 BC.Literature comparison: Compare a related painted terracotta figure of a unicorn, also dated ca. 2600-1900 BC, illustrated by Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, Cities of the Indus Valley, in Joan Aruz (ed.), Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus, 2003, no. 276, p. 390. Compare a related serpentine figure of a bull, 14.7 cm long, also dated ca. 2600-1900 BC, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1986.280. Compare two related terracotta models of a humped ox, 9 cm long, dated ca. 2500 BC, used to draw a toy chariot, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession numbers 37.96 and 37.97.

A LARGE NEOLITHIC VOLCANIC STONE MORTARTenere Region, Sahara, Niger, Neolithic period (ca. 6th to 4th millennium BC). The heavy crescent-shaped mortar finely formed; the volcanic stone partly smoothened from use but retaining its pocked texture.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and signs of weathering and erosion.Provenance: German private collection. Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), acquired from the above. Wolfgang Zacke was the co-founder of Galerie Zacke.Weight: 4.5 kgDimensions: Length 25.4 cmWith a fitted wood stand. (2)

A JADE 'SQUIRREL' PENDANT, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Neolithic period, possibly Hongshan culture, c. 4700-2900 BC. Boldly carved as a small animal with bulging eyes and bulbous tail, holding both hands up toward the mouth, appearing like a squirrel eating fruit. The jade is drilled with several holes for suspension as a pendant. The opaque stone is of a greenish-yellow tone with extensive deep russet veining and shading.Condition: Good condition with minor wear, a short crack around the center, and nibbling. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent.Weight: 60 gDimensions: Length 6.2 cm The pendant is similar in appearance to the pig-dragon (zhulong) pendants and other C-shaped carvings of the Hongshan culture.Auction comparison:Compare a related celadon and russet jade pig-dragon carving, Hongshan culture, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Chinese Art, Including Snuff Bottles and Jades from an old Hong Kong Family Collection on 28 November 2019, lot 728 (sold for HKD 8,815,000), and a related Hongshan jade carving of a larva in the same auction, lot 691 (sold for HKD 325,000).

A JADE INSECT-FORM PENDANT, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Neolithic period, possibly Hongshan culture, c. 4700-2900 BC. Boldly carved as an insect with large bulging eyes as it sheds part of its skin and drilled from both sides for suspension as a pendant. The partly translucent stone is of a greenish beige tone with russet and dark-brown inclusions.Condition: Good condition with old wear, sings of weathering, and soil encrustations. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent.Weight: 30.4 gDimensions: Length 4.4 cm

A JADE 'HUMANOID FIGURE' PENDANT, NEOLITHICChina, Neolithic period, possibly Hongshan culture, circa 4000-3000 BC or later. Worked in the form of a standing humanoid with arms crossed to the front, the face detailed with almond-shaped eyes and thick lips, all flanked by pointed ears. Apertures between the legs and the gap between the elbows. The stone of a yellowish color with russet inclusions and veins.Condition: Good condition with expected traces of wear, minor losses, and tiny nicks.Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent.Weight: 40.5 gDimensions: Height 6.5 cm

A JADE DISK, BI, LIANGZHU CULTUREJade. China, late Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture, c. 3300-2200 BCOf circular form with a central aperture drilled from both sides to form an encircling ridge. The variegated stone of pale green and light brown color with extensive grayish-white patches and veining. Few translucent areas of the stone appear red when light is shone through from the other side.Museum comparison: Compare a closely related bi, also dated to the Liangzhu culture, c. 2500 BC, 19.1 cm diameter, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1937,0416.8. Compare a related bi, also dated to the Liangzhu culture, in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number F1918.23.Auction comparison: Compare a closely related bi, also attributed to the Liangzhu culture, 18.5 cm diameter, at Christie's Hong Kong in The Chang Wei-Hwa Collection of Archaic Jades, Part I on 27 November 2019, lot 2722 (sold for HKD 212,500). Compare a related bi, also attributed to the Liangzhu culture, 17 cm diameter, at Christie's New York in The Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Part III on 19 March 2015, lot 516 (sold for USD 12,500).DIAMETER 19 cm Provenance: Austrian private collection.

A JADE PLAQUE, LIANGZHU CULTUREChina, Neolithic period, circa 3300-2200 BC. Of tapering form, the stone with a coronet bottom and pierced holes for attachment to the top, incised to one side with an animal mask among scrolling motifs. The jade covered in white calcification with spots of russet and brown. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear.Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent. Weight: 30.2 gDimensions: Length 6 cmAuction result comparison: Compare a related calcified jade comb plaque, dated to the Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture, length 5.8 cm, at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 2019, lot 712 (sold for HKD 625,000).

A CARVED JADE PENDANT, LIANGZHU CULTUREChina, Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture, c. 3300-2200 BC. Of triangular section with long rounded sides, each carved with two registers enclosing taotie masks, with a drilled aperture to the center. The opaque stone with calcification and of grayish-beige color with dark red inclusions.Condition: Good condition with minor wear and few small chips to the rims.Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent.Weight: 238 gDimensions: Length 7.4 cm

TWO JADE BEADSChina, Neolithic period, probably Xingwongla culture, circa 3500-2500 BC. Different in size and of irregular cylindrical shape, the translucent stones of a variegated green with milky white inclusions and specks of brown, as well as calcification. Condition: Very good condition with wear and expected minor signs of weathering and minor losses along the edges.Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was an engineer and fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. Born as the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, the founder of Hettabretz, one of the most important leather merchants in Italy which crafted womenswear for royals and celebrities including The Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and created exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes archaic and contemporary art, focusing mainly on Asian ancient pieces. Over decades he developed close relations with galleries, museums, curators, and auction houses while shaping his collection. He edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Weight: 93.9 gDimensions: Length 7 cm, 4.3 cmAuction result comparison:Compare a set of eight related jade beads at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 December 2023, lot 702 (sold for HKD 190,000).

A JADE AXE, FU, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Neolithic period, circa 2500-2000 BC. The jade of rectangular form with smoothened corners and thinning toward the cutting edge. The opaque stone with calcification and of a dark brown color with beige and red inclusions.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, signs of weathering and erosion, surface wear, soil encrustations, nibbling, small chips that have been smoothened over time.Provenance: Discovered in Inner Mongolia. Collection of Dr. Herbert Mueller, acquired from Hong Kong art dealer Charlotte Horstmann (1909-2003) in 1948. Collection of Professor Max Loehr (1903-1988), acquired from the above. J. J. Lally, New York, 1993. Sotheby's Paris, 15 December 2016, lot 75 (part lot). Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, acquired from the above, thence by descent.Weight: 102.1 gDimensions: Length 5.4 cm

A JADE AXE, FU, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Neolithic period, c. 2500-2000 BC. The jade of elongated form, with convex sides thinning towards the cutting edge. The opaque stone is of a black color with dark brown specks.Condition: Good condition with sings of weathering and erosion, a slight hairline to one side, minuscule chips that have been smoothened over time, soil encrustations, and losses.Provenance: Discovered in Inner Mongolia. Collection of Dr. Herbert Mueller, acquired from Hong Kong art dealer Charlotte Horstmann (1909-2003) in 1948. Collection of Professor Max Loehr (1903-1988), acquired from the above. J. J. Lally, New York, 1993. Sotheby's Paris, 15 December 2016, lot 75 (part lot). Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, acquired from the above, thence by descent.Weight: 191.2 gDimensions: Length 11.2 cm

A JADE AXE, FU, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Neolithic period, c.2500-2000 BC. Of rounded rectangular form, with convex sides thinning towards the cutting edge. The opaque stone is of an even black color.Condition: Good condition with sings of weathering and erosion, minuscule chips that have been smoothened over time, soil encrustations, and minor losses. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.Provenance: Collection of Professor Max Loehr (1903-1988). J. J. Lally, New York, 1993. Sotheby's Paris, 15 December 2016, lot 76 (part lot). Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, acquired from the above, thence by descent.Weight: 158 gDimensions: Length 8.1 cm

A PAIR OF AGATE SLIT-RINGS, LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD TO EARLY BRONZE AGEChina, circa 2000-1700 BC. Each of circular form, pierced with a hole in the center and a slit to one side forming a C-shape. The translucent jade with brown and mustard inclusions, as well as calcification.Condition: Very good condition with wear and expected minor signs of weathering.Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent.Weight: 4.8 g, 3.4 gDimensions: Diameter 2.9 cm, 2.6 cm

A LARGE ARCHAIC GREEN JADE AXE BLADE, DAO, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BCOf trapezoidal form with a straight upper edge and beveled lower edge, pierced with three apertures along the upper edge. The translucent stone of a sea-green tone with grayish-white and dark green shadings.According to the Cleveland Museum of Art, recent recoveries of similar blades from a pit of a Qijia cultural site located in northwest China reveal that they were originally standing on their edges and were arranged in parallel formations at the ritual ground.With a velvet fitted silk storage box.Condition: Good age-related condition with ancient wear as well as chips and nibbles, the stone with natural fissures and imperfections. Provenance: From a Canadian private collection.Weight: 534 g Dimensions: Length 31 cmExpert's note: Jessica Rawson in Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum, 1995, p. 184, discusses jade ceremonial blades and how they evolved from stone reaping implements.AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, Fine Chinese Art on 18 May 2023, lot 4 Price: GBP 17,850 Description: A very large archaic jade axe blade, Dao, Neolithic Period Expert remark: Compare the related form and subject.13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

A LARGE GREEN AND BROWN CEREMONIAL JADE BLADE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BC An amazing example of a long ceremonial blade, trapezoidal in shape, with slightly slanting short sides, faintly arched at the top edge, and with a straight cutting edge. The top pierced with three holes. The softly polished stone of an amazing, translucent blueish green tone and with large areas of darker, semi-translucent brown inclusions to the top and sides.According to the Cleveland Museum of Art, recent recoveries of similar blades from a pit of a Qijia cultural site located in northwest China reveal that they were originally standing on their edges and were arranged in parallel formations at the ritual ground. Condition: Very good condition with age-related wear, and tiny chips.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 612 g Dimensions: Length 39 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related blades in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 134, 135, 136, pages: 114-117. Compare to a closely related Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao), 2000-1700 BC, Northwest China, late Neolithic period to early Bronze Age, Qijia culture exhibited at Cleveland Museuam of Art, Severeance and Greta Milikin Colllection 2009.83.AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON: Type: Related Price: Sold at 30,000 GBP approx. 35,000 EUR Auction: Christie's, A Private English collection of White Jade Carvings and Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art including Export Art, Lot 118, 4th of November 2008 Description: A greyish-green jade blade, Dao, Neolithic period, Qijia culture, circa 2050-1700 BC

A JADE NOTCHED AXE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BC. Of tapering form with a long, straight cutting edge, well-carved from a beautiful, translucent celadon stone with delicate, brownish, grayish, and milky white inclusions, as well as russet spots and veins. Three circular hafting holes drilled from one side. The shorter sides flanked by notched grooves. Condition: Very good condition with wear and expected minor signs of weathering as well as nibbles to edges and a small chip to one notch.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 552.3 gDimensions: Length 37 cm, Width 11.2 cmKnife- and axe-shaped blades made from stone were probably working tools in Neolithic societies. Jade is hard but brittle, so the blades made from this beautiful material are unlikely to have been put to practical use. Instead, they would have been held by chieftains as symbols of authority. Large quantities of jade blades have been excavated in different regions in China, indicating their widespread use over a span of more than 3,000 years.

A LONG 'RIVER JADE' BLADE, QIJIA CULTUREChina, early Bronze Age, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BCAn elegant blade of remarkable size, skillfully worked from an opaque and mottled hardstone, incorporating various hues of green and light russet, reminiscent of a river stream. The blade is faintly thinning towards the sides, the cutting edge is slightly convex. The top section of the jade is pierced with one hole. The surface is exquisitely polished and smooth to the touch.Condition: Excellent condition with expected wear and natural fissures.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 175 g Dimensions: Length 29 cmLITERATURE COMPARISON: Compare to closely related blades in 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, by Prof. Filippo Salviati, Nos. 132, 133 pages: 112-113AUCTION RESULT COMPARISON:Type: Related Price: 187,500 HKG, approx. 22,000 EUR Auction: Christie's, The Chang Wei-Hwa collection of Archaic Jades Part I - Neolithic Period, Lot 2741, 29th of November 2023 Description: A DARK GREEN STONE BLADE, NEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 2500-2000 BC

A JADE NOTCHED DISC, LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD TO SHANG DYNASTYChina, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1050 BC. Of circular form, the jade is pierced with a wide central aperture and the outer edge is carved with three pronounced notches forming three arcs. The stone of dark green tone with patches and spots of dark gray. Condition: Very good condition with wear and expected minor signs of weathering.Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.Weight: 246.9 gDimensions: Length 14.5 cmAuction result comparison: Compare a related jade notched disc, 16 cm diameter, at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9 October 2022, lot 119 (sold for HKD 327,600).

Neolithic period red clay twin handled receptacle, minor surface losses but no further damages, D: 10 cm. UK P&P Group 2 (£18+VAT for the first lot and £3+VAT for subsequent lots)

Indus Valley Neolithic period footed bowl, D: 10 cm, damages to the rim and discolouration throughout the body, most of the design remains. UK P&P Group 1 (£14+VAT for the first lot and £1+VAT for subsequent lots)

Neolithic period terracotta vessel, with flared tubular neck and two loop handles; the upper body painted with geometric motifs, H: 33 cm. Not available for in-house P&P

A group of three Chinese Neolithic terracotta jars two with black painted geometric decoration, 9 and 11cm [damages and repair].

A mixed lot of Chinese pottery, Neolithic and later including two two-handled vessels with geometric decoration in black, 12 and 22cm wide; a grey pottery jar decorated with incised bands to the shoulder, 18cm wide; and a black/brown glazed bottle, the body with a band of vertical ribs, 21cm [damages] 4.

A Chinese Neolithic grey pottery bowl and cover and a similar jar both painted with scrollwork, 17 and 16.5cm [minor kiln damage to bowl].

A Chinese Neolithic grey pottery vessel and one smaller the first with black painted horizontal bands, 26cm [rim chips]; the second with incised lower body, 10cm diameter [minor chip to rim] 2.

Two Chinese Neolithic terracotta vessels painted in black with geometric designs, 18 and 22cm [damages].

Thirty flint neolithic arrow heads and two flint scrapers.

A PALE CELADON JADE CICADA漢代 白玉蟬China, Han DynastySharply incised with concise strokes on both sides and modelled with elongated wings, this lustrous jade carving is arguably one of the best examples of cicadas executed in the ‘Han Splitting’ style.L: 13.7cmProvenance：Irish private collection, acquired from SPINK&SON London.出处： 愛爾蘭私人收藏，購於倫敦SPINK&SONNOTECicadas' unusual long-life cycle as an insect has made it a popular subject in ancient Chinese jades, symbolising rebirth and immortality.A pair of jade cicadas of this type is in the collection of British Museum, illustrated by Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade: From the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 319, no. 24:8.A similar one discovered in number 7 tomb of Dongyang city Yutai county of Jiangsu province in 1974, in the collection of Nanjing museum.

A RARE AND LARGE CALCIFIED JADE ZHULONG ('PIG DRAGON')紅山文化 玉豬龍Neolithic period, Hongshan cultureof generous proportions, the iconic coiled body further accentuated with a superbly rendered wrinkled snout, the signature slit below the sealed lips terminated before meeting the central perforation, the neck drilled for suspension. 12.2 x 10 x 4cmProvenance: Bought in Hong Kong during 80-90's. NOTE Renowned for its considerable size, this sculpture portrays a zhulong, also known as a pig-dragon. This term is a contemporary description of the creature's upturned snout, prominent bulging eyes, and coiled body. Zhulong are regarded as the prototypes for later depictions of mythological dragons in Chinese art. These intriguing creations originate from the enigmatic Hongshan culture, which thrived around 3500 BC and provides evidence of a complex belief system in supernatural forces. Jade zhulong sculptures have been unearthed at various tomb sites in Northern China, often found placed on the chests of the tomb occupants, indicating that they were likely worn as chest ornaments.

Two Chinese pottery vessels, considered to be Neolithic, both with painted decoration, one applied with a strap handle from the rim to the shoulder, the red footed bowl is 15.5 diameter

A Chinese ceramic vase, grey tinted, considered to be Neolithic, 16cm high, together with two other early Chinese pots (3) 

**DESCRIPTION AMENDMENT** 2 *Neolithic* flint hand axes, length 14cm (2) flint hand axes, length 14cm (2) Good condition but no provenance

A POLYCHROME WOOD MONPA MASK, 19TH CENTURYArunachal Pradesh, India. Finely carved as a woman with a gentle smile below almond-shaped eyes and an aquiline nose, her painted face flanked by ears issuing flower-shaped earrings, the hair parted and neatly pulled away from the face, the head crowned by a foliate band centered by a sun and moon medallion. The earlobe with pierced holes to fasten the mask to the face.Provenance: From a French private collection. Export seal to the back stamped, '2091.' An old collector's label, 'Mascara de danza, ethnia Sherdukpen, (Arunachal Pradesh), Himalaya, India, XVI-XVII.'Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, some wear, losses and flaking to polychrome, small chips, age cracks, an old repair to the crown, minor touchups to lacquer. Weight: 315 g (excl. stand) and 908.2 g (incl. stand)Dimensions: Height 27.7 cm (excl. stand) and 41 cm (incl. stand)Mounted to an associated metal stand. (2)The practice of mask making by the Monpas can be traced to the influence of the Tibetan culture. As early as the Neolithic age, before the creation of masks, Tibetans painted their faces with animal blood, brownish-red color, and black ash, which had an effect similar to wearing masks. Influenced by the totem worship of primitive Bonism, Tibetans started to express themselves by wearing animal masks. After the creation of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetans began to worship deities, and the image of deities started to be adopted into masks. The creation of operas promoted the development of masks, which had an innate decorative function.

A PAINTED POTTERY JAR, NEOLITHIC PERIODChina, Majiayao culture, 3rd-2nd millennium BC. The compressed body surmounted by a waisted neck set with two loop handles, decorated to the exterior in black pigment with angular scroll and geometric designs, the interior of the mouth with bands and hooks.Provenance: P.C. Lu Works of Art Ltd, Hong Kong. A private collection in New York, USA, acquired from the above.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Some old wear, traces of weathering and aging, encrustations, small nicks, few minor chips, light scratches, and few minuscule losses. The handles with old repairs.Weight: 254 gDimensions: Height 10 cmLiterature comparison:Compare a related two-handled Majiayao jar, dated to 2300 to 2000 BC, 10 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 50.61.4.Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 27 March 2018, lot 4Price: USD 16,250 or approx. EUR 19,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Two painted pottery jars, Neolithic period, Majiayao culture, Banshan type, 3rd millennium BC.Expert remark: Compare the related form, decoration, and size (9.8 and 11.1 cm). Note that the lot comprises two jars.

A Chinese 'Banshan' type pottery storage jar, in the Neolithic style, with typical black pigment decoration, twin handled.

IMPORTANTE ET TRÈS RARE PAIRE DE VASES EN PORCELAINE CÉLADON À DÉCORS MOULÉS ET RÉHAUSSÉ D'ORMarques et époque Qianlong (1736-1795)A MAGNIFICENT AND VERY RARE PAIR OF CELADON-GLAZED MOULDED AND GILT-DECORATED ARCHAISTIC VASES AND COVERSQianlong moulded and gilt six-character seal marks and of the periodEach vase of square form, raised on a short straight foot and rising to a straight neck, both of corresponding square form, each side subtly moulded and highlighted in gilt against a pale translucent celadon ground with a musical chime, a wan symbol and endless knot, all tied with fluttering ribbons held between a bat at the top and a smaller bat at the bottom, the central design bordered by an intricate scrollwork of interlaced stylised dragons, with almond-shaped eyes and beak-like noses, with horns bent backwards, their thin bodies highly stylised and dissolving into a dense scrollwork, tails linked by heart-shaped rings, their outlines emphasised with fine gilt borders, the foot and neck moulded and gilt with a keyfret band, the square covers of domed form, centering on a bud-shaped knop within a border of raised bosses, each side with a moulded musical chime above a large stylised bat, the outlines highlighted in gilt, the luminous glaze a pale celadon tone. 18.5cm (7 1/4in) and 18.3cm (7 1/8in) high. (4).Footnotes:清乾隆 粉青釉模印描金仿古紋方蓋瓶一對「大清乾隆年製」款Provenance:Acquired in China in the late 19th century and thence by descent in the family to the current owner來源：於十九世紀末得自中國，後經家族流傳至現藏家This pair of vases are very rare for multiple reasons: their shape and decoration which were inspired by archaic bronzes and jades, their luminous celadon glaze which evokes the pale and translucent celadon glazes of the Song dynasty, the subtly moulded designs around their sides highlighted with fine lines of gilding, the impressed and gilt marks on their bases and the fact that they comprise a pair. While they appear to be unique, they are deeply rooted in the tradition of imperial porcelains made in the 18th century under the Qianlong emperor. They illustrate the emperor's knowledge of antiquity and his appreciation of past traditions. His interest in antiquarian studies, or the studies of bronze and stone inscriptions (jinshixue 金石學), was the driving force behind the compilation of major catalogues of antiquities in the imperial collections which documented and illustrated the increasingly large imperial collection of ancient artifacts including archaic bronzes and jades, many of which were displayed in the halls and chambers of the imperial palaces.Under the Qianlong emperor, archaic bronzes and jades in the imperial collections often supplied models for porcelain forms and designs. In fact, imperial records of the Qianlong period note that the emperor urged the craftsmen working in the imperial workshops to follow the styles and specifications recorded in ancient catalogues. However, more often, the same craftsmen used ancient shapes and designs to create unique and exquisitely crafted objects, especially porcelains, such as evident in the present pair of vases.In their square shape, these two vases evoke the form of a neolithic jade cong 琮, a tall, squared cylindrical vessel that may have served as a status symbol in Chinese pre-dynastic history. The subtly moulded design of intricately interlaced dragons that adorns all four sides of each vase, however, is more obviously borrowed from archaic bronzes as well as archaic jades of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770-256 BC), when the dragon motif developed into more and more abstract, angular interlaced scrollwork in relief, inlay or openwork, with the animals' bodies and limbs morphing into curled, comma-shaped extensions, and their heads small and stylised but for large exaggerated eyes. The delicate translucent pale celadon glaze which is applied to the entire surface of both vases and covers, including the bases, envelopes the low relief decoration ever so subtly carved at slightly different levels, allowing it to pool in the recesses and thinning to a pale, almost white tone on the raised parts of the design thus creating a delicate contrast of celadon tones, highlighting the dense, undulating archaistic design. Based on the fine, high-fired celadons of the late Tang dynasty, and the lustrous celadon glazes of the Southern Song dynasty developed in the Longquan kilns in Zhejiang, the glaze on the present vases is a product of the potters experimenting in the Qing imperial kilns. In the 18th century considerable effort was put into the perfection of much-appreciated celadon glazes. Potters perfected an even and paler celadon glaze using considerably less iron, modifying and adapting it even further to achieve a notably finer texture and, more importantly, a cooler, pale celadon colour with a clear, translucent bluish tone.No other vase of the same shape and design of this pair of vases appears to be recorded. A pair of small square vases with canted sides and covers, entirely covered in a similar translucent pale celadon glaze but of the Yongzheng period, was sold in Sotheby's New York, 5 and 6 November 1996, lot 857. In general, celadon-ground gilt-decorated porcelains are rare, with only few examples recorded. See, for instance, a pair of archaistic celadon-ground gilt-decorated vases with gilt six-character seal marks, from the J.M. Hu Collection, sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2010, lot 1803a. Compare also with a celadon-glazed vase with a moulded and gilt-decorated design, also with an impressed and gilt Qianlong seal mark to the base, sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 18 and 19 May 1982, lot 340. The distinctive archaistic interlaced dragon design that embellishes the sides of both vases is more commonly associated with a small group of double-walled vases commissioned by and made for the Qianlong emperor. They pierced outer wall of these vases is in the shape of a complex design of small archaistic interlaced dragons with small heads and large, almond-shaped eyes and sinuous bodies dissolving into scrollwork, with outlines enhanced by fine gold lines, as seen on a double-walled Yangcai reticulated vase, sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 10 July 2020, lot 1, or on another Yangcai reticulated vase, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch'ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2021, cat.no.69 (Fig. 1).Impressed and gilt six-character Qianlong seal marks are known from a number of porcelains, mostly examples where forms, designs or glazes are archaistic, see, for example, a small imitation-gilt bronze archaistic tripod censer with an impressed and gilt Qianlong seal mark and of the period, sold Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2019, lot 2906. Or on a small tea-dust glazed gilt and silver-decorated washer in the collection of the National Palace Museum, published in Catalog of the Special Exhibition of K'ang-Hsi, Yung-Cheng and Ch'ien-Lung Porcelain Ware from the Ch'ing Dynasty in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1986, cat.no.95.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A large Neolithic flint axe head, circa 7th-5th millennium BC., 34cm.Length is approx 34cm as described. Consigned from a local deceased estate; we have no further information or provenance.

Five Chinese dark green jade bi discs of various sizes, Neolithic Period. The largest 7.5 cm diameter.Provenance: The Larkin/Minney Collection.

A neolithic polished flint axe head - found in mid-Norfolk - 19 cm long

A large collection of post medieval to present day copper mounts and fittings and badges, also 17th Century and later lead farm tokens, one dated 1680, and a small collection of Neolithic flint tools and scrapers. (qty)

Neolithic Period, circa 6th-4th millennium B.C. With broad rounded butt and triangular-section spike. 44 grams, 77 mm (3 in.).Found Hampshire, UK. [No Reserve]

Neolithic Period, circa 8th-5th millennium B.C. Comprising mostly bifacial and uniface flint and chert arrowheads, some with tangs; probably from the Sahara region of North Africa. See Greenwell, David, F., Artefacts of North Africa, privately published, 2005, for much information. 211 grams total, 38-66 mm (1 1/2 - 2 5/8 in.).UK gallery, early 2000s. [50, No Reserve]

9th-10th century A.D. or earlier. Formed as a gold cap set with polished agate gem; suspension loop above. 0.93 grams, 18 mm (3/4 in.).Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.This amulet was believed to offer protection against 'Elfshot'. The attack of elves was believed responsible for mysterious suffering in men and livestock. 'Elfshot' described sudden shooting pains localised to a particular area of the body, such as in rheumatism, arthritis or muscle stitches or cramps. Elves were thought to shoot darts or arrows where such pains had no obvious external cause. Belief in elfshot persisted into the 20th century in rural areas, and as proof country folk would sometimes find small arrowheads (the remains of Neolithic or Mesolithic flints, or naturally-occurring spear-shaped stones) that were believed to be the magical weapons that caused the afflictions. Belief in elfshot began in the Pagan Germanic period.