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A GROUP OF THREE POTTERY WARESNeolithic period and Ming DynastyThe large red pottery jar with four lug handles to the rounded body, rising to a tall cylindrical neck; the ewer of ovoid form with a tubular spout and a flat strap handle; the cizhou ovoid vase with four lug handles, the body boldly painted with lotus on a cream slip ground. 30cm (11 3/4in) high; 20.5cm (8in) high; 24cm (9 1/2in) high (3).Footnotes:The pottery jar: The result of Oxford thermoluminescence test no.C103b74, 19 February 2003, is consistent with the dating of this lot. The pottery ewer: The result of Oxford thermoluminescence test no.C105h67, 2 March 2005, is consistent with the dating of this lot.Provenance: The pottery jar - Roger Keverne Ltd., Summer Exhibition, London, 2003, no.27.A distinguished English private collectionFor further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A GREEN JADE NEOLITHIC-STYLE CONG AND A GREEN JADE FINIALThe finial early 20th centuryThe Neolithic-style cong jade with a cylindrical core and a square body left undecorated; the green and russet jade finial depicting a toad with coral eyes and gold foil profiles, resting on the back of an insect. The cong: 10cm (4in) high (2).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: YY Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Two painted pottery jarsChinese, Neolithic period/Yangshao cultureboth with red earthenware, brush painted with black and purplish-brown geometric designs, 34cm & 31.5cm (2)Provenance: From the collection of the late Professor R M Hicks, OBEThe smaller jar bought in Bath from an antique centre in November 1993Condition issues to both.

Yangshao painted pottery jarChinese, Neolithic periodpainted with a geometric design in black and red on earthenware, 17cm highProvenance: From the collection of the late Professor R M Hicks, OBEFairly original condition, some pitting and scratches

Stone Age, a Neolithic polished hand axe, c. 2000 BC, arrow butted with curved cutting edge, ovate cross section with chamfered edges, 12.8cm x 6cm x 2.5cm. Mottled light brown and cream colour, very fine with only minor chips to the cutting edge £160-£200 --- Provenance: Found in Rattlesden (Suffolk)

4 Neolithic stone hand axes and 4 flint knives / scrapers.

A Chinese jade ceremonial blade (chan), Neolithic period, of slightly tapered oblong form, with bevelled cutting edge to one end and drilled circular hafting aperture towards the other, the stone of brown and green mottled tone with black, cinnamon and white cloudy inclusions, length 18.1cm (chips to edges), bearing paper collectors' labels and numbers. Provenance: formerly from the estate of the late Frederick Sydney Clark (1923-2016), and formerly in the Harry Geoffrey Beasley Collection. Note: Harry Beasley (1881-1939) was a British anthropologist and museum curator who set up the Cranmore Ethnographical Museum, which eventually held more than 6000 objects.Buyer’s Premium 29.4% (including VAT @ 20%) of the hammer price. Lots purchased online via the-saleroom.com will attract an additional premium of 6% (including VAT @ 20%) of the hammer price.

Flint bifacial knife c. 3000 BC - 1150 BC. A late Neolithic - Bronze Age flint knife, oval in plan and sub-triangular in section it has been extensively worked over the entire ventral surface and most of the dorsal surface, only a small area of cortex remains. 76mm x 44mm, 72g. Found in South Cambridgeshire and recorded on the PAS database as SF-BAA832 https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/868816

"A Rejected Neolithic Axe", from Scawfell Pike, presented to JC Wade OBE JP Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland 1969. With note giving history of "This stone axe is probably one of the many thousands which where rejected by the craftsman who fashioned the rough cuts on top of Scawfell Pike" etc (see illustration).

A Chinese Neolithic terracotta vase, with a tubular neck and two loop handles; the upper body painted with geometric motifs, height 30cm, width 26cm.

JESSICA RAWSON. 'Chinese Jade From The Neolithic To The Qing', 1995; ANGUS FORSYTH & BRIAN McELNEY. Jades From China', The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, England, 11 June 1994; CHRISTOPHER RANDALL. 'A Personal Selection of Fine Jade Carvings From The Yushantang Collection of Nick Troubetzkoy, Vol 1'; 'Chinese Jade, Selected Articles From Orientations 1983-1996'; and a Christies Hong Kong Auction Catalogue entitled '300 Years of Jade', Monday 30th October 2000'. (5)

A LARGE AND FINELY CAST RITUAL BRONZE WINE VESSEL, POU, SHANG DYNASTYChina, 12th-11th century BC. The compressed globular body rising from a tall splayed foot to a short tapering neck surmounted by a wide flaring mouth. The central band crisply cast with three taotie patterns each centered by a narrow flange, below a band of confronting kuilong divided by three imposing bovine masks cast in high relief. The foot with two pierced apertures above a band of kuilong, all against a leiwen ground.Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 7 December 1983, lot 49. A private collection in New York, USA, acquired from the above. Christie's New York, 4 June 1992, lot 179. Canadian private collection, acquired from the above. Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2002, lot 18. A noted collector, acquired from the above.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age and presenting extraordinary well with >90% of the intricate design still sharp and crisp, something that is exceedingly rare on the present group of vessels. Minor nicks, dents and surface scratches. Encrustations. A faint short crack to the base. Minor areas of corrosion with associated losses and old fills as well as a single restoration to foot rim, circa 5x5 cm, all precisely visible on the X-ray images provided (are available upon request). Superb dark-green patina overall, naturally grown over millennia.Weight: 6.0 kgDimensions: Diameter 33 cm, Height 26 cmDistinguished by its large size and dignified form, the present pou is a magnificent example of bronze vessels created in the second half of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). Inspired by ceramic prototypes from the Neolithic era, vessels of this type appeared in the Shang bronze casting repertory around the end of the Erligang phase (c. 1500-1300 BC). They were used as food and wine containers for ritual purposes, before disappearing by the beginning of the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1046-771BC).Literature comparison: A closely related pou, 26 cm high, with similar cast decoration and similar large bovine masks cast in relief on the shoulder is illustrated by Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1987, page 334, no. 57. Also illustrated, page 337, fig. 57.3, is another closely related pou, 26.5 cm high, in the Musee Cernuschi, Paris. Another closely related pou, 26.2 cm high, is illustrated in Shang Ritual Bronzes, National Palace Museum Collection, Taipei, 1998, pages 388-389, no. 65.Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related pou, 27.9 cm high, also dated 12th-11th century BC, at Christie's New York, in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, on 24 March 2011, lot 1239, sold for USD 1,022,500. Compare another closely related pou, 33.1 cm diameter, dated to the late Shang dynasty, with cast repair, at Sotheby's New York, in Important Chinese Art on 21 September 2021, lot 34, sold for USD 252,000.商代大型饕餮紋青銅瓿中國，公元前十二至十一世紀。饕餮紋青銅瓿，圓腹，斂口，圈足上有三個方形孔，流行於商早期至商晚期前段，為古代盛酒器。中央清晰可見三個饕餮紋，饕餮一對炯炯有神、不怒自威的巨目；其下方是夔龍紋；整器以雷紋為地。 來源：紐約蘇富比 1983年12月7日 lot 49；紐約私人收藏，購於上述拍賣；紐約佳士得 1992年6月 4日 lot 179；加拿大私人收藏，購於上述拍賣；紐約蘇富比 2002年3月20日 lot 18；一位知名收藏家，購於上述拍賣。 品相：品相極佳，與年齡相稱，呈現出非凡的品質，其紋飾仍然清晰明快，這在目前的青銅酒器中極為罕見。輕微的劃痕、凹痕和結殼，底部有些微短裂縫。 局部受腐蝕區域帶有相關損失和舊填充物，腳緣處有修復，大約 5x5 厘米。請參考 X光圖像（請聯繫我們團隊）。整體上包漿良好。 重量：6.0 公斤 尺寸：直徑33 厘米，高26 厘米 本瓿以體型大、造型莊重而著稱，是商代下半葉（公元前 約1600-1046 年）青銅器皿的典範。受新石器時代陶瓷原型的啟發，這種器皿出現在二里崗期末期（約公元前 1500-1300 年），用作祭祀禮器，消失於西周初年（約公元前 1046-771 年）。 文獻比較: 一件相近的瓿，高 26 厘米，相似的紋飾，見Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1987, 第 334頁，圖 57；也可見第337頁，圖 57.3, 另一件瓿，高 26.5 厘米，巴黎Museé Cernuschi美術館；以及第三件瓿，高26.2 厘米，見臺北故宮博物院商代Shang Ritual Bronzes, 1998, 第388-389頁, 圖65。 拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的瓿, 高27.9 厘米，公元前十二至十一世紀，見紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2011年3月24 日 lot 1239, 售價USD 1,022,500；比較另一件相似瓿，直徑33.1 厘米，商代末期，有修補，見紐約蘇富比 Important Chinese Art 2021年9月21日 lot 34, 售價USD 252,000。

A WESTERN ASIATIC BRONZE 'GOAT' OPENWORK FINIALCirca 5th century B.C. - 5th century A.D. Finely cast in the form of a mountain goat with long, ribbed, and powerfully curved horns, pricked funnel-shaped ears, and a short tail, atop a pierced rectangular base.Provenance: Collection of Oliver Reginald Hoare (1945-2018). Inventory label to interior of base, '1461 C'. A prominent English art figure, described as arguably the most influential dealer in the Islamic world, Hoare joined Christie's London in 1967 where he was initially overseeing Russian art. After spotting some carpets left lying in a corridor and recognizing them as Persian, Hoare used them as the basis of a successful auction, which led to the launch of the Islamic Art Department, the first of its kind in a major auction house. He left Christie's in 1975 and opened Ahuan, a gallery in Pimlico, in partnership with David Sulzberger. In 1994, he negotiated the return of a Persian 16th-century manuscript to Iran, the Houghton Shahnameh (the most important illustrated manuscript ever created in Persia), in exchange for Willem de Kooning's Woman III which had been in Iran since the Islamic revolution. In the 1990s, he famously liaised with Diana, Princess of Wales.Condition: Good condition, overall as expected and fully commensurate with age. Old wear, losses, small dents, minor nicks, extensive signs of weathering and erosion, soil encrustations. Weight: 751.7 g Dimensions: Height 20.5 cmExpert's note: It is interesting to note that wild goats and other bovids appear in artifacts from a wide range of sites within Western Asia over a long period of time spanning thousands of years. Goats are among the earliest animals domesticated by humans. The most recent genetic analysis confirms the archaeological evidence that the wild bezoar ibex of the Zagros Mountains is the likely original ancestor of probably all domestic goats today. Neolithic farmers began to herd wild goats primarily for easy access to milk and meat, as well as to their dung, which was used as fuel, and their bones, hair, and sinew which were used for clothing, building, and tools. The earliest remnants of domesticated goats dating 10,000 years before the present are found in Ganj Dareh in Iran. Goat remains have been found at archaeological sites in Jericho, Choga Mami, Djeitun, and Cayonu, dating the domestication of goats in Western Asia at between 8,000 and 9,000 years ago.Literature comparison: Compare a harness ring depicting a goat, dated ca. 8th-7th century BC and attributed to Iran, probably Luristan, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 32.161.30. Compare a bronze finial surmounted by a gazelle, dated 5th-4th century BC and attributed to Northwest China and southwestern Inner Mongolia, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2002.201.49. Compare a bronze rhyton with a centaur holding a goat, from Gilgit (Pakistan) and dated late 1st millennium BC, in the Ashmolean Museum Oxford, accession number EA1963.28.Auction result comparison: Compare a Transcaucasian bronze wild goat rattle standard, dated circa 13th-12th century BC, at Christie's New York in Antiquities on 13 October 2020, lot 5, sold for USD 87,500.

A RARE AND MASSIVE LIMESTONE 'PIG-DRAGON' CARVING, ZHULONG, HONGSHAN CULTUREChina, Neolithic period, c. 4000-3000 BC. Of generous proportions, the iconic coiled body further accentuated with a superbly rendered wrinkled snout, the neck drilled for suspension. Provenance: Collection of Oliver Reginald Hoare (1945-2018). A prominent English art figure, described as arguably the most influential dealer in the Islamic world, Hoare joined Christie's London in 1967 where he was initially overseeing Russian art. After spotting some carpets left lying in a corridor and recognizing them as Persian, Hoare used them as the basis of a successful auction, which led to the launch of the Islamic Art Department, the first of its kind in a major auction house. He left Christie's in 1975 and opened Ahuan, a gallery in Pimlico, in partnership with David Sulzberger. In 1994, he negotiated the return of a Persian 16th-century manuscript to Iran, the Houghton Shahnameh (the most important illustrated manuscript ever created in Persia), in exchange for Willem de Kooning's Woman III which had been in Iran since the Islamic revolution. In the 1990s, he was famously liaised with Diana, Princess of Wales. Published: Oliver Hoare, Every Object Tells a Story, 2017, London, page 26, number 14. Condition: Good condition, presenting well, commensurate with age. Several hairline cracks and structural fissures. Distinct areas of erosion and general surface alteration. Small bruises. Fine, naturally grown patina, with an unctuous worn feel overall, due to extensive handling over decades, or even centuries, indicating the present zhulong was excavated long time ago. Weight: 3,087 g (excl. stand) Dimensions: Height 20 cm (excl. stand) With an associated metal stand. (2) Notable for its large size, this carving depicts a zhulong, or pig-dragon, a modern term that describes the animal's upturned snout, prominent bulging eyes and coiled body. Considered to represent the prototype of depictions of mythological dragons in later Chinese art, zhulong are some of the most iconic creations of the enigmatic Hongshan culture, and evidence the existence of a complex system of belief in supernatural forces. Auction result comparison: Compare a related calcified yellow jade zhulong, 10 cm high, also attributed to the Hongshan culture, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Monochrome II on 9 October 2020, lot 21, sold for HKD 2,520,000. 紅山文化罕見石灰岩雕豬龍中國，新石器時代，公元前約 4000-3000 年。通體呈牙白色，肥首大耳，嘴部平齊，三角形切口不切透內圓，身體首尾相連，成團狀捲曲，背部對鑽圓孔，面部以陰刻線表現眼圈、皺紋。來源：Oliver Reginald Hoare (1945-2018) 收藏。Hoare是一位著名的英國藝術人物，可以說是伊斯蘭世界最有影響力的經銷商，他於 1967 年加入倫敦佳士得，最初負責監督俄羅斯藝術。 他發現一些放在走廊上的地毯是波斯地毯後，Hoare將它們進行了成功的拍賣，以此爲基礎成立了伊斯蘭藝術部，這是大型拍賣行中的此方面第一個部門。他於 1975 年離開佳士得，與 David Sulzberger 合作在 Pimlico 開設了 Ahuan 藝廊。1994 年，他通過談判將一份十六世紀的波斯手稿《Houghton Shahnameh》（波斯有史以來最重要的插圖手稿）歸還給伊朗，以換取自伊斯蘭革命以來一直在伊朗的Willem de Kooning《女人III》。 1990 年代，他與威爾士王妃戴安娜有過交往。出版：Oliver Hoare, Every Object Tells a Story, 2015, 倫敦, 頁26, 編號14。 品相：狀況及保存良好，與年齡相稱。幾處細小裂縫和結構裂縫。不同的侵蝕區域和一般的表面變化。微小擦傷。細膩自然的包漿，表面光滑潤澤，這説明它是很久以前出土的。 重量：3,087 克 (不含底座) 尺寸：高20 厘米 (不含底座) 配置金屬底座 (2) 拍賣結果比較：比較一件鈣化的黃玉豬龍，高10 厘米，紅山文化，見香港蘇富比Monochrome II 2020年10月 9日 lot 21, 售價HKD 2,520,000。

A MAGNIFICENT WHITE JADE 'SPRING WATER' PLAQUE, JIN TO YUAN DYNASTYChina, 1115-1368. Of oval form, intricately carved in openwork and in layered relief to depict a goose in flight amidst long stems of lotus that rise from the rippling waves below, with blossoms and furled leaves, its long neck arched and beak clutching a leaf, all within a plain, rounded border. The translucent stone is of an even white tone with cloudy inclusions and very few dark speckles.Provenance: Marchant Ltd., London. An English private collection, by repute acquired from the above circa 1997, according to the family of the collector.Condition: Superb condition with minor old wear and few minuscule nicks here and there. Manually applied polish with a smooth, unctuous feel overall. Natural inclusions and fissures, inherent to the material.Weight: 58.6 gDimensions: Length 8.4 cmThe motif of the present plaque originated from the annual 'Spring Water' goose hunt conducted by the Khitan in the Liao dynasty and the Jurchen in the Jin dynasty.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related plaque illustrated by Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, p. 46, no. 43 (also sold at Christie's Hong Kong on 28 November 2006, see Auction result comparison below). Compare a related plaque pierced with a flying goose and lotus, illustrated by Marchant, 85th Anniversary Exhibition of Chinese Jades from Tang to Qing, p. 51, no. 29, dated Yuan to early Ming. Compare also two related plaques dated to the Yuan dynasty, one illustrated by James C. Y. Watt, Chinese Jades from the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1989, no. 40, and another in the British Museum, illustrated by Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 335, fig. 1.Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related white jade plaque with a similar depiction at Christie's Hong Kong, in Important Chinese Jades from the Personal Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, 28 November 2006, lot 1445, sold for HKD 336,000. 金至元代“春水玉“白玉牌中國，1115-1368年。橢圓形玉牌，精雕細琢，鏤空分層浮雕大雁穿枝，四周纏枝蓮花。大雁長頸拱起，喙抓著一片葉子。 半透明的玉石呈均勻的白色，帶有絮狀物，少量黑斑。 來源：倫敦Marchant Ltd. 藝廊。英國私人收藏，據藏家家族描述説約在1997年購於上述藝廊。 品相：狀況極佳，有輕微舊時磨損和一些微小的劃痕。手工拋光，整體光滑油潤。玉料固有的天然内沁和裂縫。 重量：58.6 克 尺寸：長 8.4 厘米 拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近白玉牌見香港佳士得Important Chinese Jades from the Personal Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman 2006年11月28日 lot 1445, 售價HKD 336,000。

Neolithic knapped flint tools together with a collection of pottery shards and a piece of unpolished amber.Provenance: From the Estates of June Barrington Ward & Maggie Cameron Frazer‘Two Remarkable Ladies’June Barrington-Ward 1922-2002& Maggie Cameron Frazer 1923-2021 For several decades, two remarkable ladies lived contentedly in the remote farmhouse near Lanreath in Cornwall that they had restored and shared since the 1970s.June Barrington-Ward was a sculptor. She trained at Chelsea School of Art and exhibited widely during the 1960s & 70s. Her work featured in group shows in prestigious galleries and locations like the Royal Academy alongside artists such as Denis Mitchell, John Milne & Kim Lim. June was the daughter of Lancelot Barrington-Ward KCVO, a royal surgeon to King George VI and his family. He also played rugby for England. Her grandfather was the vicar of Duloe in Cornwall. Although her work was applauded by contemporary critics, she never pursued recognition. In the words of a family member “she didn’t seek fame and I believe she was simply happy to be left alone to make things.”We have over 80 pieces of June’s impressive sculpture in the Art Section of this sale.Maggie Cameron Frazer was an academic who specialised in antique glass, a subject on which she wrote extensively and lectured at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Some of the very fine pieces in this sale were part of her treasured collection.They met during the Second World War. June, in the WRNS, drove ambulances in London and Maggie worked at Bletchley Park. For many years they shared a large property in Chiswick with a studio, until making the move to Cornwall.Maggie bought their magical house in North Cornwall from the Carlyon Family in 1978. After renovating their home, they settled happily into retirement, Maggie astutely playing the stock market and June continuing to create sculpture. June died in 2002 and Maggie followed her last year.The home they left, and their wonderful collection of art and antiques, stand as a celebration and testament to their happy life together.

Neolithic Axe. A Neolithic hand axe from Spiennes, Belgium, 14.5cm highQty: (1)

Neolithic Flint. A Neolithic flint (Livre de beurre) from Barrou, Loire, France, the specimen measures 20cm long and weight approximately 1.8kg Qty: (1)Footnote: This is a flint core which was fashioned and used to make other smaller flint tools. It is known in France as the Loaf of Bread and is a very impressive ancient tool.

A CONG-FORM ALTERED JADE BEAD, LIANGZHU CULTUREChina, circa 3300-2200 BC. The tubular bead is carved in the form of a two-tiered miniature cong. Both registers are carved and neatly incised with a stylized mask. The opaque stone is covered extensively with white alteration.Provenance: From a private estate in New York City, USA. Condition: Good condition with ancient wear, a small chip on the top and bottom edge possibly smoothened, small nicks here and there. The stone with calcifications, weathering, and natural fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Fine, naturally grown patina.Weight: 38 gDimensions: Length 4.5 cmMany beads of all sizes have been found in Liangzhu tombs, and a large number of them are decorated with faces, often arranged on two tiers.Literature comparison: Compare a related cylindrical-form jade bead, also dated to 3300-2250 BC, of slightly smaller size (2.9 cm), at J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art exhibition, New York, in Ancient Chinese Jade: From the Neolithic to the Han from 10 March to 2 April 2016, No. 11.Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related Liangzhu cong-form jade bead, of smaller size and near-identical design and with similar white alteration, at Christie's Hong Kong in The Chang Wei-Hwa Collection of Archaic Jades, Part I - The Neolithic Period on 27 November 2019, lot 2723, sold for HKD 525,000. 良渚文化琮形玉珠中國，公元前約3300-2200 年。琮的每兩個平面的夾角線作為一個軸心，分別對稱刻畫獸面的鼻、口，兩側的平面上分別雕出兩隻眼睛。不透明的石頭覆蓋著大面積的白色鈣化。來源：美國紐約私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，磨損，頂部和底部邊緣的小刻痕可能已磨平，到處都有小刻痕。具有鈣化、風化和天然裂縫的石料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些已經發展成細小的細裂縫。自然細膩的包漿。 重量：38 克 尺寸：長4.5 厘米 拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的良渚文化琮形玉珠，尺寸稍小，幾乎一模一樣的紋飾，相似的白色鈣化，見香港佳士得The Chang Wei-Hwa Collection of Archaic Jades, Part I - The Neolithic Period 2019年11月27日 lot 2723, 售價HKD 525,000。

A CARVED CYLINDRICAL JADE BEAD, LIANGZHU CULTUREChina, circa 3300-2200 BC. The tubular bead is carved in form of a cylinder with two finely incised masks, each with slightly raised features, including round eyes incised within ovals joined by a wide bridge above a short bar-shaped mouth, a channel drilled from both ends. The opaque stone is covered extensively with white alteration, lustrous and ivory-white in color, with ochre suffusions.Provenance: From a private estate in New York City, USA.Condition: Good condition with ancient wear, one small chip on the top and at the bottom edge possibly smoothened, small nicks here and there. The stone with calcifications, weathering, and natural fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Fine, naturally grown patina.Weight: 22.4 gDimensions: Length 3.2 cmMany beads of all sizes have been found in Liangzhu tombs, and a large number of them are decorated with faces, often arranged on two tiers.Literature comparison: Two closely related beads in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, are illustrated in Neolithic Jades in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1992, pls 26, 27. Two in the Simon Kwan collection were included in the exhibition Chinese Archaic Jades from the Kwan Collection, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no 47. A pair is in the British Museum, London, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 5:11. Also compare a related Liangzhu cong-form jade bead, dated to 3300-2250 BC, at J. J. Lally & Co., New York, in Ancient Chinese Jade, March 2018, No. 45.Auction result comparison: Compare a related Liangzhu cylindrical-form jade bead, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Jade: The Zhirouzhai Collection on 7 October 2008, lot 2377, sold for HKD 68,750. 良渚文化獸面紋玉珠中國，公元前約3300-2200 年。管狀珠子成圓柱形，獸面紋，圓形大眼睛，嘴部浮雕。不透明的玉料覆蓋著白色的鈣化，有光澤和象牙白色，並帶有赭色。來源：美國紐約私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，磨損，頂部和底部邊緣有一個小刻痕，多處小刻痕。 鈣化、風化和天然裂縫的玉料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些已經發展成細小的裂縫。包漿自然細膩。重量：22.4 克 尺寸：長3.2 厘米 拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的良渚文化圓柱形玉珠，見香港蘇富比Jade: The Zhirouzhai Collection 2008年10月7日 lot 2377, 售價HKD 68,750。

South-Est Asian Art A white stone Pi disc bangle Thailand, Ban Chiang Culture, I milennium b. C. . . Cm 13,50. White stone bracelet tapered towards the outer border and provided with a raised edge at the central hole. The precise function of these sort of object is still quite uncertain as they are common in many oriental cultures, testifying the high level of symbolic abstraction reached by the Asian populations of the Neolithic period (IV-I millennium BC). The disk Pi, possibly meant to be a metaphysical representation of the firmament, firstly appears in China around the 4th millennium BC, in the Yangtse delta region. It is usually associated with its "earthly" counterpart, the Cong, a quadrangular artifact crossed by its entire length by a circular hole, symbolizing the earth. The essential and rarefied lines of the Pi and the solid ones of the Cong are unified by the central hole, a mystical passage of the primordial energies that form the invisible axis on which the sensible world eternally rotates. As for their function during the Neolithic period, historical evidence confirms that although they were ritual items, they were also used as jewelry or exchange currency.

Chinese Art A jade Pi disc China, Qing dynasty, 19th century (?). . Cm 14,00 x 21,00. A large calcified jade carving with the grain of millet archaic style relief decoration and an openwork carved top cusp with dragons, qilong and taotiè. This object, known as "Pi", is one of the most iconic ritual objects of the Chinese tradition. The oldest historical evidence related to this particular type of artifacts dates back to the Neolithic period and can be detected Liangzhu culture, the last of the great Chinese Neolithic cultures, which flourished on the Yangtze delta around the fourth millennium BC. According to scholars, the particular shape of a disc perforated in the center would be attributable to a hyperstization of the universe, linked to metaphysical symbols that signify the central hole as a celestial axis on which the whole firmament is hinged. This interpretation, widely acknowledged nowadays, seems to have not yet been formulated in the eighteenth century, considering that emperor Qianlong, an avid collector of archaeological objects himself, had a poem been inscribed on the most beautiful of his jade discs stating that it was “a cup holder from the Song era”.

Chinese Art A jade Armilla China, Han dynasty (206 b.C.-220 a.D.) . . Cm 8,50. A round, thick bracelet in marbled jade, carved in relief with qilong. Jade objects, invested with powerful symbolic values, have been found already in Neolithic archaeological sites, usually conceived as jewels to be worn for protective and apotropaic purposes. Among these the smooth or soberly decorated bracelets with geometric or figurative motifs in relief.

Four Chinese Neolithic pottery vessels, 11cm

Five Indus Valley pottery vessels, neolithic, tallest 11cm

A large Chinese Neolithic painted pottery jar. Heavily-potted with two looped handles. Painted to the upper half with red and black pigment. Machang phase (2300 - 2000BC). 37cm tall. Private London collection, acquired in Hong Kong in the 1990s.

A Chinese Neolithic painted pottery jar. The vessel decorated with geometric patterns to the upper half with two looped handles and slightly everted rim. Possibly Xindian Culture (1500 - 1000BC). 21.5cm tall. Private Japanese collection.

An unusual Chinese Neolithic burnished black pottery vessel, possibly Shang dynasty 13th -12th century BC. The thickly potted vessel on a deep, slightly splayed foot with flat outer ring to the waist leading into a flared mouth. Top and bottom sections with bands of scored decoration. 16.5cm tall. From a private New York collection, acquired before 1995.

A Chinese Neolithic pottery jar. With oval shaped body with everted rim decorated with vertical cord impressed lines around the body. Qijia Culture (2050 - 1700BC). 16cm tall. Previously, private UK collection.

A Chinese Neolithic pot with two small lopped handles to the waist with tapered neck with horizontal lines of perorated holes. Decorated with lines and banding of red and black pigment. Approx. 14cm tallSlight chip to the rim with no other signs of damage or repair.

Four reference books on Chinese jade. To include 1. 'Chinese Jade Carving' by S. Howard Hansford. 2. 'Jade Wares', Neolithic - Qing, China Shaanxi Travel & Tourism Press. 3. 'Jades from China' The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, England - Angus Forsyth, Brian McElney. 4. 'Jade' by J.P.Palmer. (4)

Pitt Rivers (Augustus Henry Lane Fox). Excavations in Cranborne Chase, near Rushmore, on the Borders of Dorset and Wilts., volumes 1-3 only (without volume 4 & index), privately printed, 1887-1892, volume 3 with photographic portrait frontispiece (detached), numerous black & white plates and letterpress illustrations, including plans, maps, tables, some folding or double-page, volume 1 bound in contemporary dark green half morocco, rubbed to extremities, remaining volume in original gilt-blocked blue/purple cloth, frayed at head & foot of spines, large 4to, together with Greenwell (William), British Barrows: A record of the examination of sepulchral mounds in various parts of England, 1st editions, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1877, wood-engraved illustrations, newspaper cutting tipped onto half-title, and portrait cutting adhered to verso of front free endpaper, original cloth, spine faded, 8vo, plus Hodgkin (Robert Howard), A History of the Anglo-Saxons, 2 volumes, 1st edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1935, colour frontispiece to each, monochrome plates and folding plans, original cloth in worn dust jackets, 8vo, and other British archaeology interest including: Mattingly, Roman Coins from the earliest times to the fall of the Western Empire, 1st edition, London: Methuen & Co., 1928, 64 monochrome plates, top edge gilt, original cloth in slightly worn dust jacket, 8vo, Wheeler, Maiden Castle, Dorset, Society of Antiquaries of London Reports XII, Oxford University Press, 1943, folding plans, monochrome plates, original cloth, slightly faded, 4to, Wheeler, The Stanwick Fortifications, North Riding of Yorkshire, Society of Antiquaries of London Reports XVII, Oxford University Press, 1954, folding plans, monochrome plates, original cloth, 4to, Hawkes & Hull, Camulodunum. First Report on the Excavations at Colchester 1930-1939, Society of Antiquaries of London Reports XIV, Oxford University Press, 1947, folding plans, monochrome plates, original cloth, 4to, Wainwright, Mount Pleasant, Dorset: Excavations 1970-1971, Society of Antiquaries of London Reports XXXVII, 1979, folding plans, monochrome plates, original cloth in dust jacket, 4to, Wainwright & Longworth, Durrington Walls: Excavations 1966-1968, Society of Antiquaries of London Reports XXIX, 1971, folding plans, monochrome plates, original cloth, 4to, Renfrew, Investigations in Orkney, Society of Antiquaries, 1979, folding plans, monochrome plates, original cloth in dust jacket, 4to, Guido (Margaret),The Glass Beads of the Prehistoric and Roman periods in Britain and Ireland, Society of Antiquaries of London Reports XXXV, 1978, monochrome illustrations, original cloth in dust jacket, 4to, Piggott, The West Kennet Long Barrow Excavations 1955-56, 1962, 4to, & Piggott, The Neolithic Cultures of the British Isles, Cambridge: University Press, 1954, original cloth in dust jacket, 8vo, etc.Qty: (approx. 65)

Wace (Alan John Bayard). Prehistoric Thessaly. Being some account of recent excavations and explorations in North-Eastern Greece from Lake Kopais to the borders of Macedonia, 1st edition, Cambridge: University Press, 1912, monochrome illustrations (some full-page), original cloth, a little rubbed, 4to, together with: Heurtley (Walter Abel), Prehistoric Macedonia, an archaeological reconnaissance of Greek Macedonia (west of the Struma) in the Neolithic, Bronze, and early Iron Ages, 1st edition, Cambridge: University Press, 1939, colour frontispiece and monochrome illustrations, original cloth, slightly faded, 4to, plus Cornaro (Flaminio), Creta Sacra sive de episcopis utriusque ritus Graeci et Latini in Insula Cretae, 2 volumes, facsimile edition, Modena: Editrice Memor, circa 1970, original cloth, 8vo, and Miller (William), The Latins in the Levant. A History of Frankish Greece (1204-1566), London: John Murray, 1908, 4 colour maps, endpapers a little toned, original cloth, spine slightly darkened and rubbed at ends, 8vo, plus other archaeology reference, including Sphyroeras (Vasilis & others), Maps and Map-Makers of the Aegean, Athens: Olkos, 1985, colour map illustrations, original cloth, dust jacket, a little rubbed, 4to, Wace (A.J.B.), A Cretan Statuette in the Fitzwilliam Museum. A Study in Minoan Costume, Cambridge: CUP, 1927, colour frontispiece, illustrations, a little light spotting, original buckram-backed boards, 4to, Rutkowski (Bogdan), The Cult Places of the Aegean, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986, illustrations, compliments slip and errata pasted at front, original cloth, dust jacket, 4to, Yule (Paul), Early Cretan Seals: A Study of Chronology, Mainz: Philipp von Zabern, 1981, numerous illustrations, original boards, 4to, Margarita Guarducci, Inscriptiones Creticae, Opera et Consilio Friderici Halbherr Collectae, 4 volumes, Rome, 1935-50, Antiquités Crétoises, by L. Pernier & G. Karo, volumes 1 & 2 only (of 3), [1907-11], J.M. Hussey's The Finlay Papers. A Catalogue, 1973, Lloyd (Seton and Mellaart, James), Beycesultan, 2 volumes, London: The British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, 1962-65, ownership inscription of Sinclair Hood to front free endpaper of volume 1, 8vo, Herrmann (Joachim), Tornow und Vorberg, Ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte der Lausitz, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1966, original paper wrappers, 4to, etc.Qty: (67)

MacGillivray (J.A.) Knossos: Pottery Groups of the Old Palace Period, The British School at Athens, Studies 5, 1998, monochrome illustrations, author's compliments slip pasted at front, original boards, folio, together with The Palaikastro Kouros. A Minoan Chryselephantine Statuette and its Aegean Bronze Context, by J.A. MacGillivray and others, British School of Athens Studies 6, 2000, colour and monochrome illustrations, presentation inscription to Sinclair and Rachel Hood from the editor and author, original boards, folio, plus Knossos: Palace, City, State, edited by Gerald Cadogan, Eleni Hatzaki and Adonis Vasilakis, British School at Athens Studies 12, 2004, illustrations, CD contained in plastic wallet at end, original boards, folio, with 15 others including Knossos Pottery Handbook, Neolithic and Bronze Age (Minoan), British School at Athens Studies 14, 2007, Parallel Lives. Ancient Island Societies in Crete and Cyprus,British School at Athens Studies 20, 2012, Knossos Excavations 1957-1961. Early Minoan, by Sinclair Hood and Gerald Cadogan, 2001, Knossos Protopalatial Deposits in Early Magazine A and the South-West Houses (Supplementary volume 41), 2007, and Le Palais du Second Millenaire a Knossos, by Jacques Raison, 4 volumes (Le Quarter Nord/Le Front Ouest et ses Magasins), 1988-1993, together with Desborough (V.R. de'A). The Last Mycenaeans and their Successors. An Archaeological Survey c. 1200 - c. 1000 B.C., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964, half-tone illustrations, additional pamphlet 'Revue de Philologie de litterature et d'histoire anciennes, 1967 stapled at front, original cloth, dust jacket, spine toned with tears at head, 4to, plus Branigan (Keith). Aegean Metalwork of the Early and Middle Bronze Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974, maps and illustrations, author's compliments slip at front, original cloth, dust jacket, spine a little faded with small tear at head, 4to, with six others including V.E.G. Kenna's Cretan Seals with a Catalogue of the Minoan Gems in the Ashmolean Museum, 1960 (with a presentation inscription from the author to M.S.F. Hood pasted-in), John Boardman's The Cretan Collection in Oxford, 1961, W.C. Brice's Inscriptions in the Minoan Linear Script of Class A, 1961, and N.G.L. Hammond's Epirus, 1967, and Morgan (Lyvia, editor). Aegean Wall Painting, a tribute to Mark Cameron, London: British School at Athens, 2005, British School at Athens Studies 13, numerous illustrations, some colour, original boards, couple of minor marks, 4to, Schaeffer (Claude F.A. ), Stratigraphie Comparée et Chronologie de l'Asie Occidentale, London: Oxford University Press, for the Griffith Institute, 1948, numerous plates, charts and plans, many folding, original cloth, spine faded, thick 8vo, with 12 others including: The End of the Early Bronze Age in the Aegean, by Gerald Cadogan, 1986; The Aerial Atlas of Ancient Crete, edited by J. Wilson Myers, Eleanor Emlen Myers, and Gerald Cadogan, 1992, with ink manuscript authorial presentation inscription to Sinclair and Rachel [Hood]; Faces of Archaeology in Greece, by Rachel Hood, 1998; The British School at Athens, the First Hundred Years, by Helen Waterhouse, 1986; and including 6 offprints of articles by Sinclair Hood, 1971-1994Qty: (40)

A Pre Columbian pottery vessel, modelled as a figure lying on it's front with head raised, on an integral rectangular base, with engraved decoration, 17cm high, together with a Neolithic polished axe head, 10.7cm long, believed to have been found in Hampshire. (2)

A Neolithic / Bronze Age tanged and barbed flint arrowhead

Maskenanhänger, China, neolithischer StilStein. Dreiseitige Form, stilisierter Kopf eines Raubtieres oder Dämons, Lochbohrung. H. 10,3 cm. Sammlung Ruppert und Becker. Mask pendant, stone. China, neolithic style. H. 10,3 cm. From the collection Ruppert and Becker.

A BLACK JADE AXEVietnam, Neolithic period (c. 4.800-4.500 BC). The black jade axe, with the blade broadening slightly towards the cutting edge. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, old wear, nibbling to the edges. Provenance: Hungarian private collection. According to the current owner acquired from a private collector in France. Weight: 329 g Dimensions: Length 19.1 cm

A MASSIVE SERPENTINE AXE HEADNew Guinea, Sentani culture, presumably Neolithic Era. Of drop shape, the mottled green stone highly polished. Condition: Good condition commensurate with age, old wear, minor nibbling to the edges. Provenance: Ex-Collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. István 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: 928.4 g Dimensions: Length 26 cm

A CELADON JADE 'PIG-DRAGON' PENDANT, ZHULONG, HONGSHANJade. China, Late Neolithic period, Hongshan culture, c. 3500-2500 BCThe translucent jade, which is polished and smooth, is of a pale celadon tone with few mottled creamy-white inclusions.Depicted is a coiled "pig-dragon". The cut stands for the mouth of the animal, whereas the lines carved just above the incision suggest the snout. The round, bulging eyes are highlighted and encircled by a large groove, while the ears of the mythical creature emerge slightly from the jade. An additional conical perforation on the back, just below the head, serves as the suspension hole.One of the most typical categories of Hongshan ornaments is definitively represented by pendants carved in the shape of coiled 'dragons' or mythical creatures. The overall shape of the ornament recalls the original rounded shape of the pebble out of which the ornament was carved.Pendants worked in the shape of coiled dragons are attested in several Hongshan sites: see those reproduced in Liaoning Archaeological Institute, Niuheliang Hongshan wenhua yizhi yu yuqi jingcui (A short presentation of the Niuheliang archaeological site, Hongshan culture and its jades), Beijing 1997, nos. 1, 2 and 5.HEIGHT 8 cmProvenance: From a German private collection.

A JADE RING, QIJIAJade. China, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BCThe exquisitely multicolored jade showing numerous striations, dots, and large patches of different nuances of color ranging from beige, to light and dark brown, russet, and black. Only small areas of the original translucent jade are noticeable on the otherwise chalky jade.The circumference is slightly irregular, as the central hole, thus giving the ring an uneven width.Compare a celadon and russet-brown jade ring at Sotheby's London in Important Chinese Art on 6 November 2019, lot 225, sold for GBP 4,000, and two related rings at Christie's Hong Kong in The Chang Wei-Hwa Collection of Archaic Jades, Part I - Neolithic Period on 27 November 2019, lots 2755 (sold for HKD 68,750) and 2757 (sold for HKD 106,250).DIAMETER 9.5 cmProvenance: Collection of Prof. Filippo Salviati, acquired in Beijing in the early 2000s.

AN IRISH NEOLITHIC BOG OAK DUGOUT CANOE Of typically carved form from a single log timber, some losses, 209cm long, 60cm wide.Footnotes:Footnote: from the estate of the Rev Con Auld. In the 1970s Rev Auld was driving through rural county Fermanagh when he noticed a group of boys tending a bonfire. On closer inspection, it transpired that the firewood being used was a number of bog oak canoes which had recently been uncovered by contractors who were constructing a road. Anxious for this piece of Irish history not to be lost for ever, the Rev Auld negotiated a price for this canoe with this boys and drove of with it in his trailer. Rev Auld is best known as the former owner of 'Ireland's smallest church', an unlikely tourist attraction which the retired religious studies teacher and former mayor of North Down, built St Gobban's at his summer home in the coastal townland of Portbradden in the Sixties. In 1902 an oak logboat over 15m long and 1m wide, was found at Addergoole Bog, Lurgan, County Galway, Ireland, and delivered to the National Museum of Ireland. The Lurgan boat radiocarbon date was 3940 +/- 25 BP. TWe would like to acknowledge the advice of Dr Greer Ramsey of the Ulster Museum with regard to this item.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Bendall (Lisa Maria). Economics of Religion in the Mycenaean World. Resources dedicated to religion in the Mycenaean Palace economy, Oxford University School of Archaeology, Monograph number 67, 2007, presentation inscription to Sinclair and Rachel Hood to title, original boards, 4to, together with Manning (Sturt W.) The Absolute Chronology of the Aegean Early Bronze Age. Archaeology, Radiocarbon and History, Sheffield Academic Press, 1995, diagrams, original cloth, dust jacket, 4to, plus Ucko (Peter J.) Anthropomorphic Figurines of Predynastic Egypt and Neolithic Crete with comparative material from the Prehistoric Near East and Mainland Greece, Royal Anthropological Institute Occasional Paper no. 24, London: Andrew Szmidla, 1968, numerous illustrations, original cloth (extremities a little faded), price-clipped dust jacket, a few tears, 4to, with 4 others including Marija Gimbutas's Bronze Age Cultures in Central and Eastern Europe, 1965, Samoth Race 1923/1927/1978. The results of the Czechoslovak excavations in 1927, conducted by A. Salac and J. Nepomucky and the unpublished results of the 1923 Franco-Czechoslovak excavations conducted by A. Salac and F. Chapouthier, 1985, and Aegean Bronze Age Chronology, by Peter Warren and Vronwy Hankey, 1989Qty: (7)

Cesnola (Alexander Palma di). Salaminia (Cyprus): The History, Treasures, & Antiquities of Salamis in the Island of Cyprus, 1st edition, London: Trubner and Co., 1882, pictorial half-title, colour frontispiece, numerous black & white plates and illustrations, scarce minor spotting, original pictorial cloth, soiled and rubbed, spine with wear & loss near head, 4to, together with Catling (H.W. ), Cypriot Bronzework in the Mycenean World, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1964, numerous plates, original cloth, lighty rubbed, dust jacket, sunned, some edge-fraying and chips, 4to, plus Dikaios (Porphyrios), Khirokitia: Final Report on the Excavation of a Neolithic Settlement in Cyprus ..., London: Oxford University Press, 1953, colour frontispiece, numerous plates, some folding plans, original cloth, minor fraying to foot of spine, dust jacket, somewhat rubbed and edge-frayed, 4to, with Astrom (Paul), The Middle Cypriote Bronze Age, Lund: Hakan Ohlssons, 1957, illustrations, near-contemporary quarter red morocco, textured cloth sides, rubbed, gilt-lettered spine with raised bands, 4to, and another in uniform binding: Studies on Prehistoric Cyprus, by Einar Gjerstad, 1926; with 11 others similar (including two duplicates)Qty: (16)

Warren (Peter). Minoan Stone Vases, Cambridge: 1969, monochrome illustrations, original cloth, 4to, together with Barber (E.J.W.) Prehistoric Textiles. The Development of Cloth in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages with special reference to the Aegean, 3rd printing, Princeton University Press, 1992, illustrations, a few colour, small stain to front pastedown, original cloth, 4to, plus Poursat (Jean-Claude). Les Ivoires Myceniens. Essai sur la Formation d'un Art Mycenien/Catalogue des Ivoires Myceniens du Musee National d'Athenes, 2 volumes, Paris: Diffusion de Boccard, 1977, monochrome illustrations, original cloth, 4to, with others on applied arts including Aegean Faience of the Bronze Age, by Karen Polinger, 1979, Aegean Painting in the Bronze Age, by Sara A. Immerwahr, 1990, Gold of the Mycenaeans. Important Finger Rings, sealstones and ornaments of the 15th Century B.C., New York: Michael Ward Gallery, 1993 (limited edition of 750), Early Cretan Seals: A Study of Chronology, by Paul Yule, 1981, Recherches sur les Larnakes Minoennes de la Crete Occidentale, by Caterina Mavriyannaki, 1972 (presentation copy), and Aegean Seals. An Introduction, by Olga Krzyszkowska, 2005Qty: (16)

Xenake-Sakellariou (Agne). Oi Thalamotoi Taphoi Ton Mykenon, Anaskaphes Chr. Tsounta (1887-1898), Les Tombres a Chambre de Mycènes, Fouilles De Chr. Tsountas (1887-1898), Paris: Defusion de Boccard, 1985, 366p., 144 pages of monochrome illustrations after photographs, and 14 pages of diagrams, single colour plate, original printed grey wrappers, 4to, together with: Sampson (Adamantios), He? Neolithike? katoike?se? sto Gyali te?s Nisyrou (The Neolithic settlement at Yali, Nissiros), Athens: Euvoike? Archaiophilos Hetaireia, 1988, monochrome plates, illustrations and folding plans, original printed wrappers, small folio, International Congress of Cypriot Studies, Praktika tou deuterou Diethnous Kypriologikou Synedriou : Leuk?sia, 20-25 Apriliou 1982 , volume 1 only (of 3), Nicosia, Cyprus, 1985, monochrome plates and illustrations, original printed wrappers, spine faded, large 8vo, plus others similar and relatedQty: (approx. 50)

A small Neolithic polished stone are head.

A PAINTED POTTERY TWO-HANDLED JARProbably Neolithic period, Majiayao culture, Banshan type, 3rd millenium BCAdorned with painted black and red geometric patterns.H: 45 cmProvenance: Bought in Hong Kong 1987/11/23. The buyer will be provided with the original certificate delivered by the Hong Kong Art Craft Merchants Association.Note:For a related jar at auction, see Christie's New York, 2019/03/21, lot 1218.彩陶双柄罐新石器时代，马家窑文化，半山式，公元前3世纪Condition Report: - Faded colours to several parts / losses of engobes / clay- UV / black light checked

Han Dynasty, Circa 202 BC - 220 AD An elegant Han Dynasty greyware Hu vessel. The simple vessel is decorated on the shoulders opposite sides with moulded taotie masks and a ring. Lightly incised grooves run around the vessel. It has a plain rim, large bulbous body, and stands on a raised integral base, with original bulbous shaped lid. The taotie is a motif commonly found on early Chinese ritual bronze vessels: the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and possibly further back to Neolithic times. It typically consists of a frontal zoomorphic mask, with a pair of raised eyes and no lower jaw area. This shape is known as ‘hu’: a vase of baluster-shape, copied from bronze vessels. The form is characterised by a pear-shaped body, which continues upwards in a curve towards a generous opening. Size: L:500mm / W:275mm ; 6.9kg. Provenance: UK private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.

Han Dynasty, Circa 202 BC - 220 AD An elegant Han Dynasty terracotta Hu vessel decorated in red slip, black and white geometric patterns and spirals. The simple vessel is decorated on the shoulders opposite sides with moulded taotie masks and a ring. Lightly incised grooves run around the vessel. It has a plain rim, large bulbous body, and stands on a raised integral base, with original bulbous shaped lid. The taotie is a motif commonly found on early Chinese ritual bronze vessels: the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and possibly further back to Neolithic times. It typically consists of a frontal zoomorphic mask, with a pair of raised eyes and no lower jaw area. This shape is known as ‘hu’: a vase of baluster-shape, copied from bronze vessels. The form is characterised by a pear-shaped body, which continues upwards in a curve towards a generous opening. Size: L:325mm / W:160mm ; 2.5kg. Provenance: UK private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.

Circa 8000-6000 BC. Made of dense gray-brown diorite. Boat-shaped with a blade higher than a butt. Middle part with vertical shaft-hole. Blade and shaft-hole are finely polished. Drilled from both ends, leaving horizontal parallel. The Neolithic period was the last stage of Stone Age and is characterized by the use of ground or polished stone weapons, tools and implements.The Neolithic tools & weapons: axes and hammers, adzes and chisels, knives and scrapers, sickle and hoe were used for cereal cultivation and animal domestication.The Chalcolithic (or Eneolithic) era marks a transition period to the Bronze Age with the introduction of Bronze metallurgy. In Europe the arrival of bronze tools and weapons did not play a noticeable role in production for household or military craft. Stone still was used for implements or battle weapons. Many of them were multi-purpose tools that could be used as hoes, working axes, adzes, chisels and battle axes depending of the method of fastening the haft. P. V. Glob's classical book Danske Oldsager II. Yngre Stenalder gives a comprehensive overview on the Northern European New Stone Age. Size: L:170mm / W:52mm ; 454g. Provenance: Private London collection, acquired in 2002 in Vienna; formerly in 1980s - 2000s Austrian collection.

Han Dynasty, Circa 202 BC - 220 AD An elegant Han Dynasty greyware Hu vessel. The simple vessel is decorated on the shoulders opposite sides with moulded taotie masks and a ring. Lightly incised grooves run around the vessel. It has a plain rim, large bulbous body, and stands on a raised integral base, with original bulbous shaped lid. The taotie is a motif commonly found on early Chinese ritual bronze vessels: the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and possibly further back to Neolithic times. It typically consists of a frontal zoomorphic mask, with a pair of raised eyes and no lower jaw area. This shape is known as ‘hu’: a vase of baluster-shape, copied from bronze vessels. The form is characterised by a pear-shaped body, which continues upwards in a curve towards a generous opening. Size: L:485mm / W:275mm ; 6.9kg. Provenance: UK private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.

Circa 8000-6000 BC. A Neolithic flint axe (Silex) “Thin butted axe - Type VII Blandebjerg – Ax”. Formed by an early modern man (Homo sapiens) between 10,000 and 6500 years ago. The prehistoric craftsmen removed small pieces of rock or flakes from the core using a technique called percussion flaking. This involved striking a portion of the core with a stone hammer. To make more elaborate tools such as arrow heads or spear points, the toolmaker had to do additional shaping and thinning. When the approximate shape was obtained, the final stage of thinning the point and sharpening the edges was accomplished by another technique known as pressure flaking. Here, small, and thin flakes were pushed off the edges of the tool with an antler or bone punch. This technique required both skill and physical strength. Several of these finely made arrow head and spear points have been found in sites as old as 10,000 years. P. V. Glob's classical book Danske Oldsager II. Yngre Stenalder gives a comprehensive overview on the Northern European New Stone Age. Size: L:250mm / W:75mm ; 535g. Provenance: From the private collection; previously bought by Dolf Aaij in Ancient Art Gallery Strombroek in Amsterdam , in 2005.

Circa 8000-6000 BC. Made of dense gray-brown diorite. Boat-shaped with a blade higher than a butt. The sides carved leaving a wing-like decoration. Middle part with vertical shaft-hole. Blade and shaft-hole are finely polished. Drilled from both ends, leaving horizontal parallel. The Neolithic period was the last stage of Stone Age and is characterized by the use of ground or polished stone weapons, tools and implements.The Neolithic tools & weapons: axes and hammers, adzes and chisels, knives and scrapers, sickle and hoe were used for cereal cultivation and animal domestication.The Chalcolithic (or Eneolithic) era marks a transition period to the Bronze Age with the introduction of Bronze metallurgy. In Europe the arrival of bronze tools and weapons did not play a noticeable role in production for household or military craft. Stone still was used for implements or battle weapons. Many of them were multi-purpose tools that could be used as hoes, working axes, adzes, chisels and battle axes depending of the method of fastening the haft. P. V. Glob's classical book Danske Oldsager II. Yngre Stenalder gives a comprehensive overview on the Northern European New Stone Age. Size: L:34mm / W:60mm ; 463g. Provenance: From a private collection; previously bought by Dolf Aaij in Ancient Art Gallery Strombroek in Amsterdam, in 2005.

Han Dynasty, Circa 202 BC - 220 AD An elegant Han Dynasty greyware Hu vessel. The simple vessel is decorated on the shoulders opposite sides with moulded taotie masks and a ring. Lightly incised grooves run around the vessel. It has a plain rim, large bulbous body, and stands on a raised integral base, with original bulbous shaped lid. The taotie is a motif commonly found on early Chinese ritual bronze vessels: the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and possibly further back to Neolithic times. It typically consists of a frontal zoomorphic mask, with a pair of raised eyes and no lower jaw area. This shape is known as ‘hu’: a vase of baluster-shape, copied from bronze vessels. The form is characterised by a pear-shaped body, which continues upwards in a curve towards a generous opening. Size: L:460mm / W:260mm ; 5.7kg. Provenance: UK private collection; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.

* A collection of cased ancient Native American and Neolithic stone tools, arrow heads and implements (30)

* An Ancient Neolithic chipped flaked stone axe head, 17cm long

Nottingham archaeology. A collection of Neolithic and early bronze age flints, to include arrow / spearheads and scrapers found at Redhill, Nottingham (approximately 62)

Bowl. Nal culture, period II, Indus Valley, 3200-2700 BC.Polychrome terracotta.Measurements: 10 x 13 cm.The culture of the Indus Valley was contemporary of the great civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt (maybe even previous to them), and its economic, technological and cultural development is comparable to these. This civilization, which established the first cities of the Indian subcontinent, probably arose from the evolution of the agricultural communities established during the Neolithic period along the Indus River and its tributaries. Thus, Harappa, which around 3500 B.C. was a small village along the Ravi River, evolved into a large city that spread over 150 hectares a thousand years later. This change may have been influenced by relations with the urban world of the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, or perhaps trade with this area simply played an important role, causing an economic development that made cities necessary as centers of production and exchange; these relations may also have provided a model of organization and perhaps construction techniques, which both in the Indus and in Mesopotamia rested on the use of mud brick. Whatever their origin, what is certain is that between 2600 and 1700 B.C. a technically advanced civilization flourished in the Indus Valley, based on several large cities that constituted the center of a vast territory.

Fertility figure. Tell Halaf, Syria 3rd millennium BC.Polychrome terracotta.Measurements: 9 x 4 x 4,5 cm .Tell Halaf is an archaeological site, near the city Ra's al-'Ayn, in the fertile valley of the Jabur river, in the province of Al Hasakah in northeastern Syria, near the Turkish border, opposite Ceylanp?nar. The settlement dates back to the 6th millennium B.C. Some five millennia later, the Aramean city-state of Guzana or Gozan was established on the site in the 1st millennium B.C. It was the first discovery of a Neolithic culture, later called the Halaf culture, characterized mainly by pottery painted with geometric and animal designs. Painted pottery flourished in the area, with vessels showing decorative motifs, both figurative and geometric, possibly with a religious content: humans, buckram, reptiles, scorpions, panthers, birds, painted in black and red.