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2nd-4th century AD. A group of fifteen stucco human and animal heads of various sizes, comprising: a dog's head; buddha heads, some with remaining pigmentation; figures wearing elaborate headdresses and turbans; one head with European facial features, basin-cut hairstyle and moustache. 2.3 kg total, 4.4-13.5cm (1 3/4 - 5 1/4"). Property of a Middlesex collector; acquired on the London art market before 2000; formerly in an old English collection. Gandharan sculpture was produced in parts of modern-day India, Pakistan and Afghanistan from the first century AD. Gandharans are famed for their schist and stucco carvings, which replaced schist as the dominant material in the circa 3rd century AD, in part because stucco allowed artists greater freedom to portray lifelike features. Religious sites were decorated by skilled artists with stucco representations of important individuals and religious scenes. Some monumental statues had stucco hands, feet, and heads alongside clay torsos. During this time, Gandhara was exceptionally wealthy, profiting from trade along the Silk Road; patrons had resources to spend on the arts, and there was a proliferation of stucco artwork. [15] Fair condition.

1st-2nd century AD. A penannular gold neck-ring with body formed from twisted rods, loop finials. See Farley, J. and Hunter, F., Celts Art and Identity, London, 2015, p.105-7 and 123-4, for discussion of torcs and their role in British society. 88.52 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). From the private collection of Jon Lawton, Surrey, UK; ex Nicholas Wright collection; formerly with Maurice Braham in the early 1980s; accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate no. 8708(8).AR; a positive metal analysis report and a copy of the collector’s notes; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.163548-10099. Neck-rings were a symbol of power in Iron Age society - as much a badge of rank as a personal decoration or adornment. While bronze and silver examples are relatively widespread, examples in gold are rare and it is believed that the use of this metal marked the wearer out as significant - either an important political leader or a religious officiant, or both. Very fine condition. ( A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website.)

Napatan Period, 643-623 BC. A rhyolite shabti with mummiform body, arms crossed over the chest, the right hand holding a narrow-bladed hoe, the left hand holding a broad hoe, seed bag with tassel slung over the left shoulder; wearing a nemes headdress, double uraeus and false plaited beard with chin straps; six incised horizontal registers of hieroglyphs from Chapter Six of the Book of the Dead; incised 'footmarks' to the base. Cf. The Collector's Eye, Masterpieces of Egyptian Art from The Thalassic Collection, Ltd., p.130 for context; Museum of Fine Art Boston, accession number: 21.11818, for type; see Wildung, Dietriche (ed.)., SUDAN. Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile, Paris, 1997, pp. 224-5, the detailed catalogue of a major exhibition held at the Institut du monde arabe, Paris, 1997. 622 grams total, 22.5cm including stand (9"). From a UK private collection formed in the 1980s; with Bluett and Sons, London, and also Sheppard & Cooper in 1979; formerly the property of a UK private collector who acquired it from J.J. Klejman of Madison Avenue, New York, in the 1960s; accompanied by a scholarly note TL 5285 by Dr Ronald Bonewitz; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.163503-10052. In 591 BC the pharaoh Psamtik invaded Egypt, ending the 25th (Kushite, Nubian) Dynasty which had its capital at Thebes, 716-656 BC. They withdrew to Nubia (modern Sudan) to found the royal Napata and Meroe dynasties. Their pharaohs continued Egyptian traditions, building a great temple to the god Amun at Gebel Barkal and making their royal burials at Nuri and Mero under brick-built pyramids with steeper sides than their Egyptian forerunners. These were excavated by Professor George A. Reisner directing the Harvard-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, 1916-23. The pyramids had been robbed in antiquity and were much denuded but important finds were made, notably ushabtis which the ancient robbers had ignored. The Pharaoh Senkamanisken (643-623 BC) of the Napata Dynasty (656-575 BC), was the son of Atlanersa and Queen Maloteral and third after the great pharaoh Taharqo; he was buried in Pyramid Nuri 3 at Nuri. In February 1917, Reisner found 1,277 shabtis of the king divided into five groups made of serpentine (here now properly identified as rhyolite, a black igneous rock), and faience. Despite the large numbers of shabtis there are very few available in the art market. Large numbers lie in serried ranks in storage trays in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Some were donated to major museums and a few were given to several societies with religious connections. Over the years these societies have rationalized their collections and most of the few shabtis in the market originate from those societies’ disposals and then passing through private collectors’ hands. Unlike Egyptian royal shabtis those of Senkamenisken and his grandfather Taharqo (he had 1,070 in Pyramid Nuri 1) have portrait features. An example similar to the present lot was sold at Christie's, New York, 8 June 2003, for USD138,000. Fine condition, repaired. ( A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website.)

2nd millennium BC. A glazed composition seal, biconvex in section with intaglio scene of a bull with legs folded beneath the body over tufts of grass; above the bull's back a female(?) figure vaults with hair flying, one leg bent and the other extended. See Preziosi, D.& Hitchcock, L.A., Aegean Art and Architecture, Oxford, 1999. 25.4 grams, 39mm (1 1/2"). Property of a London gentleman; previously acquired at a London auction; formerly in the Johnston family collection; formed in the 1930s. The practice of bull-leaping is found across the eastern Mediterranean world from Bronze Age Mycenae onwards. The practice probably had a religious meaning as well as providing spectacle. Fine condition.

Tom McNeely (Canadian, B. 1935) "Older Navajo Man" Signed lower left. Original Watercolor painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue Maximum Card for the U.S. 22c Navajo Art stamp issued September 4, 1986. Navajo elders are responsible for passing on tribal knowledge and lore. But old-timers avoid telling their stories in the summer, because they fear lightning and the dreaded spirits they believe it brings. indeed, the Navajo are a deeply religious and mystical people. To this day, Navajo medicine men perform curing rituals by creating sand paintings using crushed red sandstone, charcoal and sand to "paint" a healing symbol. Their patients then sit on this sand painting, in hopes of absorbing its healing power and thereby shedding any illness. Mysticism and tradition also prevail in Navajo weavings. For example, the Navajo believe their spirits are captured within the design of their weavings and if their spirits are not allowed to escape, they will eventually go crazy. Thus the Navajo usually weave a thin line of yarn into the blankets, breaking the pattern. This yarn gives their spirits an escape route. Their blanket weavings also express the Navajo's intense reverence for nature's beauty, which is an integral part of Navajo beliefs. Image Size: 15.75 x 19 in. Overall Size: 21.75 x 25.75 in. Unframed. (B10543)

Saint Basil the Great standing with his right hand raised, his left holding a jewel encrusted bible, dressed in a blue robe with richly embroidered alizarin cloak, Saint Irene standing to his right holding a golden cross against a gilded ground surmounted by Christus Pantokrator seated upon clouds, all contained within a scrolling cartouche, age wear, gilt loss 31cm by 26cm Religious icons are sacred images venerated by Orthodox believers as representations of the splendour of the divine, and are also believed to offer a direct conduit between the worshipper and saint or holy person depicted. Deriving from the art of the Byzantine Empire, with influences from the Ancient Egyptian and Greek traditions, the painting of Russian icons remained true to these old traditions, without the influence the Renaissance had on Western counterparts. Whilst a certain freedom exists when representing biographical saints, allowing for truly unique images, when it comes to details such as the clothes, or even the form of a beard, Russian icons are subject to the canon of the Byzantium. Full of symbolism, nothing is without meaning - even the colours used have particular significance. Gold signifies the radiance of Heaven, and white the resurrection of Christ. Red represents divine life whilst blue the human, with figures of Christ or Mary often depicted wearing both to signify the divine in earthly form. The only colour never used is grey, as it signifies the mixing of good and evil. It is also common to include Greek calligraphic text to name the saint or event depicted. The Byzantine practice of using a metal cover, or oklad, to protect religious icons was adapted in Russia to indicate the light and beauty of God’s world, and so these covers are often of silvered or gilt metal, sometimes even decorated with precious and semi-precious stones. Icons are believed to have an inherent sanctity which imparts the experience of divine beauty and holiness. russianicon.com/

Original vintage travel advertising poster for the Ajanta Caves in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state of India, and published by the Department of Tourism of the Government of India. The Ajanta caves are 30 (approximately) rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE, which include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotions through gesture, pose and form. The caves are regarded as masterpieces of Buddhist religious art that influenced the Indian art that followed, and since 1983 have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The image is taken from a well known painting found in the cave, painted in earthly colours of red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white and lapis lazuli, and shows Valokitesvara the Lord who looks down, a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. In Sanskrit, Avalokitesvara is also referred to as Padmapani. Produced by the Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity, Ministry of I & B for the Department of Tourism, Government of India, New Delhi. Printed by Mew Jack Printing Works Private Ltd, Bombay. The image features five classical Indian dancers in red, yellow and blue, set against a black background. Very good condition, small creases and tears on margins, bottom left corner missing. Country of issue: India, designer: Unknown, size (cm): 100x62, year of printing: 1959

C. 3rd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. A fine example of an Indus Valley civilisation bowl, comprising a lentoid body and a ring foot. The upper portion of the buff coloured vessel is decorated with polychrome motifs featuring a pair of two fish with geometrically decorated bodies in waves which flanked by geometric designs on either side. Opposite the fish is a beautifully striped humped bull, with long, curving horns, shown in profile. The lower section is undecorated. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd Millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Cf. N. Satyawadi, 1994. Proto-Historic Pottery of the Indus Valley Civilisation: Study of Painted Motifs, New Delhi. Excellent condition.Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1970s; Size: H:120mm / W:190mm ; 580g

3000-2000 BC. Bactrian. Beautiful grey stone column idol with a flat base, tapering waste and flaring top, which is cleft by a shallow, straight furrow. The object is carefully finished to accentuate the stone’s beautiful natural white speckling. Stone idols are attested across the vast expanses of Western Asia from the Caspian Sea to Afghanistan, including ancient Bactria. Their precise meaning remains elusive, but the many hours of labour required for their manufacture makes it clear they were prestige items, perhaps used during religious ceremonies. Excellent condition. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1970s. Size: H:245mm / W:133mm ; 5.7kg

3000-2000 BC. Bactrian. Beautiful cream stone column idol with a flat base, tapering waste and flaring top. The object is carefully polished to a smooth finish. Stone idols are attested across the vast expanses of Western Asia from the Caspian Sea to Afghanistan, including ancient Bactria. Their precise meaning remains elusive, but the many hours of labour required for their manufacture makes it clear that they were prestige items, perhaps used during religious ceremonies. Excellent condition. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1970s. Size: H:245mm / W:103mm ; 3.5kg

C. 2nd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. 2nd millennium BC. A ceramic figurine of a zebu with exaggerated crescent horns, painted with stripes to the horns, back and rump, dotted shoulders, and a dark ring around the neck. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Excellent condition. Size: H:70.5mm / W:90mm ; 79g Provenance: Private collection of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s.

C. 2nd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. 2nd millennium BC. An ochre-coloured ceramic figurine of a zebu with exaggerated crescent horns, painted with stripes to the horns, back and rump, and rondel eyes. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Excellent condition. Provenance: Private collection of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: H:70.5mm / W:90mm ; 87g

C. 2nd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. 2nd millennium BC. An ochre-coloured ceramic figurine of a zebu with exaggerated crescent horns, painted with stripes to the horns, back and rump, dotted shoulders and forelegs, a ring around the neck and rondel eyes. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Good condition. Provenance: Private collection of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: H:70.5mm / W:80.5mm ; 66g

C. 3rd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. A fine example of an Indus Valley civilisation jar, comprising a globular body which transitions into a gently tapering neck with a lightly flared rim. The upper portion of the body buff coloured vessel is decorated in three bands each which is delineatd from the rest by red stripes outlined in black above and below. The first two bands are decorated with simplistic black stylized gazelles. The third, and larges band features a pair of humped bulls, with long, curving horns, shown in profile. The bulls are separated by an elaborate vegetal motif and framed by geometric designs. The lower section is undecorated. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Cf. N. Satyawadi, 1994. Proto-Historic Pottery of the Indus Valley Civilisation: Study of Painted Motifs, New Delhi. Excellent condition. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1970s. Size: H:160mm / W:130mm ; 500g

C. 2nd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. 2nd millennium BC. An buff-coloured ceramic figurine of a zebu with exaggerated crescent horns, painted with stripes to the horns and rump, a shoulder across the shoulders, back and legs, a ring around the neck and rondel eyes. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Fair condition. Provenance: Private collection of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: H:50mm / W:80mm ; 51g

C. 2nd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. 2nd millennium BC. An buff-coloured ceramic figurine of a zebu with exaggerated crescent horns, painted with stripes to the horns and rump, a shoulder across the shoulders, back and legs, a ring around the neck and rondel eyes. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Fair condition. Provenance: Private collection of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: H:80mm / W:90mm ; 103g

C. 3rd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. A large example of an Indus Valley civilisation bowl, with a lightly flaring body and a ring base. The interior of the vessel is decorated with polychrome motifs featuring a pair of beautifully striped humped bull, with long, curving horns, shown in profile. The bulls are framed by polychrome geometric designs and stand over a geometric rondel which marks the bottom of the bowl. The exterior is undecorated. Excellent condition, The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Excellent condition. Provenance: From an old British collection of Asian Art formed in the 1990 on the UK and European art market. Size: H:110mm / W:280mm ; 1446g;

ca. 4000 BC. Bactrian. Large cream-coloured alabaster vessel with a round base and curved sides and corners. This elegant object may have been used to carry out ceremonies or make religious offerings to the gods. The vessel was carved from a monolith of calcite (alabaster) that is similar in colour and appearance to the stone commonly used by Egyptian sculptors for luxury tableware in the late 4th millennium B.C. Excellent condition; on a custom-made stand. Provenance: From the private collection of an Oxford gentleman; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1980s on the UK / International art markets. Size: H:70.5mm / W:290mm ; 2600g

ca. 4000 BC. Bactrian or Egyptian. Truncated conical stone bowl with flattened rim. This beautiful vessel was made from a polychrome stone with alternating red and green bands, which run horizontally around the body of the vessel, to produce a pleasing visual effect. Such an elegant and carefully-made object may have been used to carry out ceremonies or make religious offerings to the gods. Good condition; on a custom-made stand. Provenance: Private London collection, formed in the 1980s on the UK and European art market. Size: H:70mm / W:160mm ; 575g

C. 3rd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. A fine example of an polychrome Indus Valley civilisation jar, comprising globular body and a small, slightly flared rim. The ochre coloured vessel is decorated with black motifs of two humped bulls, with long, curving horns, shown in profile. The bulls are separated vegetal motifs and framed by a series of geometric designs. The outermost limits of the vessel’s decorative scheme are delineated by black and red stripes and the bottom most portion of the jar is painted black. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Cf. N. Satyawadi, 1994. Proto-Historic Pottery of the Indus Valley Civilisation: Study of Painted Motifs, New Delhi. Superb condition. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1970s. Size: H:190mm / W:260mm ; 1559g

C. 550 BC–330 BC. Achaemenid. Bronze dagger with elongated leaf-shaped blade and gently flaring bronze tang or handle. The Achaemenid Empire (the first Persian empire) was an ancient empire founded by Cyrus the Great and stretching from the Balkans and Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley and covering 5.5 million square kilometres at its height. This empire is also famous for being the antagonist of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian wars. This beautiful dagger embodies the need for ancient Persians to keep the gods appeased during religious sacrifice. Excellent condition; on a custom-made stand.Provenance: From the private collection of D. Ruskin, Oxfordshire; formerly in a British collection formed before 2000 on the UK / International art markets. Size: H:380mm / W:80mm ; 713g

C. 3rd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. A fine example of an Indus Valley civilisation bowl, comprising a slightly flaring body and a ring foot. The ochre coloured vessel is decorated with black motifs two humped bulls, with long, curving horns, shown in profile, separated two vegetal motifs and framed by a series of geometric designs. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Cf. N. Satyawadi, 1994. Proto-Historic Pottery of the Indus Valley Civilisation: Study of Painted Motifs, New Delhi. Excellent condition. Provenance: Property of a North London professional; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s;Size: H:80.5mm / W:190.5mm ; 431g

C. 3rd millennium BC. Ancient Central Asia, Indus Valley. A fine example of an Indus Valley civilisation bowl, comprising a slightly flaring body and a ring foot. The ochre coloured vessel is decorated with black motifs two humped bulls, with long, curving horns, shown in profile, separated two vegetal motifs and framed by a series of black bands and geometric designs. The Indus Valley Civilisation was an important Bronze Age culture which arose in c. 3300 BC and lasted until c. 1300, though its heyday, to which this ceramic vessel belongs, was in the 3rd millennium BC. The bull, with its hump and powerful horns, is a recurring motif in the Indus Valley, appearing on painted pottery like this example but also on figurines and stamps. The animal may represent the leader of a herd, who is able to protect his followers, or it could be a reflection of the bull’s importance in religious sacrifice. Cf. N. Satyawadi, 1994. Proto-Historic Pottery of the Indus Valley Civilisation: Study of Painted Motifs, New Delhi. Excellent condition. Provenance: Property of a North London professional; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s; Size: H:100mm / W:140.5mm ; 374g

An unusual naive and possibly folk art carving of a bearded figure, possibly part of a larger religious screen on similar, 19th Century or earlier, 15 3/4" high.

A Minoan serpentine blossom bowl Middle Minoan III-Late Minoan I, circa 1750-1450 B.C.With squat piriform body, the broad shoulders tapering to a flat base, the outer walls carved in low relief with six petals, each centrally ribbed, 8.5cm high, 13.5cm diam.Footnotes:Provenance:Dr Fréderic Ephraim (1898-1976) collection, Paris and Lugano, acquired from the above prior to 1958; and thence by descent to Mr Jean C. Genty-Ephraim (1925-2016), Lugano.Private collection, Europe, acquired from the above February 2011.For similar, see examples in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc. no. 24.150.1, the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, acc. no. 1095, and The Ernest Brummer Collection, Ancient Art, vol. II, Zurich, 1979, no. 667.Stone carving developed on Crete as early as the 3rd Millennium B.C., when stone vessels are thought to have functioned primarily as tomb goods. With the development of the Minoan palace complex and surrounding settlements, which ignited a societal drive for luxury and refinement, it is likely their usage extended into the domestic and religious spheres. Blossom bowls have been found in both domestic and funerary contexts, and are presumed to have held precious commodities such as perfumes, ointments or spices.Trade connections with Egypt, which were particularly strong during the New Kingdom (16th-15th Century B.C.), likely inspired Minoan stone vessels, as the Egyptian tradition for such was already well-established, and Egyptian examples from as early as the Predynastic Period have been discovered on Crete. Conversely, Minoan stone vessels are believed to have been exported as far east as Byblos and Troy, and blossom bowls were a particularly popular prestige object for use as gift exchange in support of local trading arrangements around the Aegean (Greek Art of the Aegean Islands, exhibition catalogue, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1979, p. 90; see also P.M. Warren, 'Stone Vessels in Minoan Crete' in Minoan and Greek Civilization from the Mitsotakis Collection, Athens, 1992, p. 151-155).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A South Arabian bronze bull's head attachment Circa 1st-3rd Century A.D.With short curved horns set above small protruding ears, the large rounded eyes with pronounced rims and ridged eyebrows, with short wrinkled muzzle, the back with curved hollow recess, 12cm long x 9cm highFootnotes:Provenance:Private collection, 1960s, Switzerland.For a bronze bull with similar features, dating to 1st-2nd Century A.D., see St. John Simpson (ed.), Queen of Sheba, Treasures from ancient Yemen, London, 2002, p. 174, no. 224, British Museum acc. no. ANE 1971-2-27. Bull imagery occurs frequently in Southwest Arabian decorative art and is found on funerary stelae, seals and dedicatory religious sculpture, as well as in architectural elements.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

RELIGION: Selection of signed clipped pieces, a few Free Fronts, A.Ls.S. etc., by various Religious leaders including John Moore, William Howley (both signed as Archbishop of Canterbury), Donald Coggan (signed as Archbishop of York), Adam Clarke (A.L.S. to Thomas Raffles, recommending his nephew, Thrasyeles Clarke, to be a surgeon in Liverpool, 1818), Thomas Chalmers (A.L.S. to the Scottish painter David Wilkie introducing John MacKenzie, the son of Sir George MacKenzie, who wishes to see 'the chief works of art in and about London', 1836), Charles Barnett-Clarke, Athenagoras I of Constantinople, Wesleyan Mission House cheques (7; dating from 1844-48 and issued in South Africa for the salaries of missionaries and bearing various endorsements etc.) etc. A few FR, generally G to about VG, 17

Three framed furnishing pictures to include; Art Deco portrait of a woman with dog, watercolour study of poppies and a coloured print of a garden. Framed. (3) (B.P. 24% incl. VAT) These are not commercial slides, annotated by hand. Mainly European topographical and religious scenes 

VISIONAIRE 60 RELIGION RICCARDO TISCI FOR GIVENCHY“No designer draws on religious themes to quite such glorious effect as Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci. Thus, it made perfect sense that Tisci came on board to guest-edit Visionaire 60 RELIGION. Housed inside a distressed wood case lined in black Plexiglas, a book of images revealed Tisci’s world and the inspiration behind his work. Naturally, the works were loaded with symbolism, like a photo of Tisci suckling at the teat of Marina Abramovic — an image the performance artist says echoed the relationship between art and fashion. “Visionaire was a truly important moment of reflection for me,” he says. “This collection of work celebrates inner truths, inner dialogues, and moments which words cannot quantify.”#1264 Edition limited to 3000. By Visionaire Publishers – 2011

Two (2) Religious icons, including Ex-Voto Mexican Retablo and Russian Altar Panel. 1st item: Mexican folk art oil on tin retablo depicting St. Joseph with a gold crown and floral scepter, holding the Christ child with a cross. Unsigned. Housed in a molded gilt wood frame with green velvet and giltwood liner. Sight - 9 1/2" H x 7 3/4" W. Framed - 17 3/4" H x 16" W. Late 19th/early 20th century. 2nd item: Russian altar panel or icon painting, oil on canvas mounted to board, depicting the saints Cosmas and Damian, the twin brother martyrs and patron saints of physicians. Both with inscriptions to the side of their heads, with Christ depicted in the clouds above them. Unsigned. 10 1/2" H x 8 1/2" W. Early 20th century. Provenance: The collection of Dr. William Kendall Striker, Chattanooga, TN. CONDITION: 1st item: Overall good condition with scattered minute areas of paint loss to surface. 2nd item: Some wear and loss, 1 1/2", along lower edge at left and right corners. Scattered flaking.

Three (3) Religious art work items, including French illuminated manuscript and Gothic Revival style painted chromolithographs of angels. 1st item: French gouache on vellum illuminated manuscript religious page, double sided, with black and red lettering and enhanced capital letters with gold leaf highlights. Housed and double matted under double-sided glass in a gilt wood frame. Sight - 4 1/2" H x 3 1/2" W. Framed - 11 1/2" H x 9 1/2" W. Circa 15th century. 2nd-3rd items: Two (2) Gothic Revival style framed panels, each with chromolithographic prints of angels, finished with oil or gouache. Both angels are depicted with faces surrounded by halos and wings, wearing tunics with gilt embellishments, one holding a trumpet, and one holding a drum, against flat gold backgrounds. Unsigned. Frames have pointed arch shapes with reed and ribbon and bead course moldings. Sight - 18" H x 6 5/8" W. Framed - 28 1/4" H x 17" W. Continental, circa 1900. Provenance: the estate of Kent Cathcart, Nashville, Tennessee. CONDITION: 1st item: Overall good condition. Minor areas of loss to frame. Not examined outside of frame. 2nd-3rd items: Overall good condition. Surface abrasions, largest 1 1/4", to panels. Craquelure to painting of angel with drum. Areas of loss, largest 3 1/2", natural age related shrinkage to frames.

Alice Campbell The Pianist, 2020 Oil on paper Signed verso 15 x 10cm (5¾ x 3¾ in.) My paintings depict surreal, other-worldly and rather playful imagery with a strong narrative art style running throughout. I invent my own peculiar characters, patterns and surroundings, often with scant regard to the logic and order of the real world. While the imagery in my work frequently derives from my own experiences, more established narratives of folk or mythical origin as well as the places I've visited have had an important influence on my practice for some time. I'm particularly drawn to places with sacred value, be that religious or folk belief, and often my ideas begin there.

Firmin Massot (Geneva 1766-1849)Portrait of Elizabeth Broadhead, later Lady Dashwood, full-length, in a white dress and seated beside a stream signed, inscribed and dated 'FMassot. Genève./ 1818.' (on rock, lower right)oil on canvas78.3 x 64.2cm (30 13/16 x 25 1/4in).Footnotes:ProvenanceBy descent from the sitter's brother to Sir Theodore Brinckman, Bt. Sale, Sotheby's, London, 24 November 1999, lot 68 (sold £27,600)With Park Gallery, London, where purchased byPrivate Collection, UK, 1999, by whom offeredSale, Christie's, London, 3 December 2008, lot 194, where purchased by the present ownerLiteratureV. Louzier-Gentaz, 'The works of Firmin Massot (1766-1849) in British Collections', in The British Art Journal, Autumn 2006, vol. VII, pp. 94-95, ill. fig. 7Firmin Massot was one of the key figures of the Geneva School and a leading society portrait painter of his time. He was heavily influenced by the 'contemporary anglophilia' (Louzier-Gentaz, op.cit., p.92) that had developed in Geneva in the early 18th century, mainly due to political upheavals and religious sympathies, as well as scientific and commercial exchanges. Geneva was a necessary stop for many British grand tourists on their way to Italy, when travel allowed it.In the 1790s Massot was linked to two of his fellow students, Wolfgang Adam Topffer (1767-1847) and Jacques-Laurent Agasse (1767-1849). Following Agasse's visit to London in 1792, the three young artists began collaborating on large scale portraits with landscapes and animals together, a practice that Massot and Topffer continued after Agasse moved to England in 1800. Louzier-Gentaz has suggested that it is very probable that Topffer painted the landscape in the present work.The sitter, Elizabeth was the daughter of Theodore Henry Broadhead of Glynde, Surrey. She married Sir George Henry Dashwood, 5th Bt. of West Wycombe, in 1823. She died without issue and lived as a life tenant at West Wycombe. The portrait passed to her brother, Theodore Henry Lavington Broadhead, created a Baronet in 1831, who subsequently resumed the surname Brinckmann.On the present work Louzier- Gentaz remarks 'quite apart from the composition of the work, the date and signature in the lower right-hand corner distinguish this portrait from the others and render it historically important: Massot did not usually sign, except in rare cases, and especially when the work was painted for a foreign patron' (op. cit, p.94).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Théodore Géricault (Rouen 1791-1824 Paris)Portrait of a man, probably the engraver Francois Godefroy (d. 1819), on his deathbed oil on canvas19.1 x 24.5cm (7 1/2 x 9 5/8in).Footnotes:Provenance(Possibly) Charles-Emile Callande de Champmartin (1797-1883)(Possibly) His sale, Hotel Drouot, Paris, 28-29 January 1884, lot 273 (as Géricault, Portrait de Godefroy, graveur, this sale was cancelled)(Possibly) His sale, Hotel Drouot, Paris, 28 January 1888, lot 112 (as 'Attributed to Géricault, Godefroy, graveur, sur son lit de mort)Private Collection, ParisLiteratureB. Chenique, Géricault, au coeur de la creation romantique; etudes pour la Radeau de la Meduse, exh. cat., Clermont-Ferrand, 2012, p.230, no. 37, ill.ExhibitedClermont-Ferrand, Musee d'Art Roger-Quillot, Géricault, au coeur de la creation romantique. Etudes pour le Radeau de la Meduse, 2 June - 3 September 2012, cat. no. 37This intimate oil sketch, painted the same year as Géricault's masterpiece The Raft of the Medusa, represents an extremely important addition to this major artist's oeuvre. It is almost certainly the picture from the collection of Émile Champmartin, who was Géricault's friend and fellow apprentice in the studio of Pierre Guérin. Long known to scholars only through sale catalogues, its recent rediscovery adds considerably to our understanding of an artist working at the forefront of the emerging Romantic movement, during the turbulent early years of the Bourbon Restoration. Until this painting surfaced recently in a private collection in Paris, references to a portrait of 'Godefroy, graveur, sur son lit de mort' in the Champmartin sale catalogues were believed to describe a work acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago in 1937. That work, likewise a small oil sketch of a man's head, bore an old label that seemingly confirmed its provenance: 'Géricault (Th)/69 – Tête d'homme sur son lit de mort, provident de la coll. Champmartin'. Evidently a cutting from an old sale catalogue, the label had yet to be traced in 1991. The art historian Lorenz Eitner defended the attribution to Géricault in his two major studies of the artist (1971 and 1983), albeit without attempting to identify the model. It was Philippe Grunchec (1978) who first doubted the attribution of the Chicago picture to Géricault on the grounds that the drapery, in particular, bore no resemblance to other works by the artist. When the Chicago picture was finally cleaned of old restorations in 1985, Grunchec's suspicions were confirmed: the cleaning revealed a bold signature in red, 'E. Champmartin'. By the time of the Géricault exhibition, held at the Grand Palais in Paris in 1991, the Chicago picture was known to be by Champmartin. Curator Sylvain Laveissière revisited the question of the model's identity at this point, postulating 'si l'on croit les catalogues des ventes Champmartin, le modele serait Godefroy, graveur'. Parmi les artistes de ce nom contemporains, le meilleur candidats est François Godefroy, né en 1743...et mort l'année meme du Radeau de la Meduse.' Laveissière's identification of the model as 'probably François Godefroy' is based on the mention of the aforementioned painting entitled 'Godefroy, graveur, sur son lit de mort' in the Champmartin sale catalogues. M. Laveissière further restates Grunchec's hypothesis that the painting in the Champmartin sale catalogues (1884 and 1888) was in fact the Chicago picture, now known to be a signed work by Champmartin. Born in Rouen in 1743, Godefroy was a successful and prolific engraver with a thriving studio in Paris. He can be linked to Géricault through the Coiny family of engravers, father and son; the younger Coiny, Joseph, was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1816, the same year in which Géricault competed unsuccessfully. Even more tellingly, Godefroy died in Paris on 28 April 1819, aged 76 – just four months before the Salon at which Géricault unveiled the Raft of the Medusa, in preparation for which he made a number of studies in oil of cadavers. Unusual though it might seem to us today, for 19th century artists the practice of painting corpses followed a longstanding academic tradition. In-depth studies of human anatomy, based on dissections and drawing from nude models and ancient sculpture, were fundamental for Renaissance masters, such as Leonardo and Michelangelo. It was in this classical Academic tradition that Géricault received his earliest training, in the studio of Pierre-Narcisse Guérin. However, the talented but disobedient Géricault did not last long in this environment of strict instruction. Abandoning his apprenticeship, Géricault began his own programme of independent study, setting up his easel in the Louvre, recently renamed the Musée Napoleon and filled with the artistic spoils of conquest from Italy and Flanders. He bypassed the classicists such as Raphael and turned instead to works by Rubens, Titian, Velázquez and Rembrandt. These were the masters of colorito painting, in which the tones and physicality of the paint medium reign supreme over elegant contours. Travel to Italy in 1816-17 reinforced Géricault's reliance on colorito, which lends itself readily to the turbulence and emotion that characterise the Romantic style. As one of the early proponents of Romanticism, Géricault laid the groundwork for the subsequent generation of French masters, including Delacroix and Courbet. It was in Italy that Géricault began his practice of painting contemporary events in the elevated manner of history painting. Upon his return to France, Géricault chose as his subject for the 1819 Salon The Raft of the Medusa, a monumental representation of man's struggle against nature (fig. 1). In order more accurately to depict the shipwrecked passengers, Géricault made a number of studies at local hospitals and of victims of the guillotine. A friend of the artist, Théodore Lebrun, recalls posing for Géricault when he fell sick with jaundice; Géricault, upon spotting Lebrun's sickly pallor, exclaimed 'Ah! Mon ami, comme vous êtes beau!' It is to this important moment in Géricault's career that the oil sketch of Godefroy can be dated. Demonstrating all the hallmarks of Géricault's mature style, the forms are defined by heavy impasto brushwork, with alternating areas of illumination and deep shadow suggesting a candlelit interior. The small scale of the work lends it an air of intimacy: although it can be linked, artistically, to such grim studies as the Severed head of a man (private collection, Paris) and Le Guillotiné (Musée Royale d'Art Moderne, Brussels), it is a dignified rather than a gruesome representation of death and in this regard recalls Renaissance postmortem portraiture, and even religious iconography. There is an ambiguity to the old man's half-closed eyes and sunken cheeks that suggests the space between living and dead, sleeping and dying. It is altogether a subtler, more sensitive painting than that by Champmartin in Chicago and is a testament to Géricault's enduring appeal among today's contemporary artists, including Lucien Freud. This work has historically been excluded from Géricault scholarship simply because it has, until now, been unknown to experts. Charles Clément, the first chronicler of Géricault's work, was unable to interview the elderly M. Champmartin, which explains why works in his collection receive no mention in his monograph. This omission has been compounded in all subsequent scholarship. However M. Bruno Chenique, who has had the opportunity to study this work first-hand and has confirmed its attribution in a letter, dated 8 September 2013, will include it in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné, currently in preparation.... For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Book of the Dead, written for the deceased Anchhap, son of Djedher and Shepsepedet, part of chapter 17, in Middle Egyptian in Heiratic script, decorated manuscript on section of linen mummy wrapping[Egypt (perhaps El-Lisht, south of Cairo), early Ptolemaic (probably fourth century BC.)] Long and thin linen fragment, with single column of 17 lines in hieratic, a small hole and slight wear in places, overall in good condition, 170 by 620mm.; set in glass, and in fitted case  Provenance:1. Produced for use in the burial of an Egyptian nobleman or official named Anchhap, who perhaps lived in the region around modern Cairo: the Bonhams catalogue of the sister fragments records their reported excavation at El-Lisht.2. Almost certainly once owned and sold by the roguish Luxor antiquities dealer, Toudros Boulos (also Tawdros, Todrous and other variants: see M.L. Bierbrier, Who Was Who in Egyptology, 3rd ed., 1995, p. 417), a Copt who used his position as the Prussian and then German Consul in Luxor to sell antiquities to a wide range of European and American private clients and institutions, alongside a sideline in metalwork forgeries (produced through his training in early life as a silversmith). His son, Mohareb Toudrus took over the consulship and the family business after his father's death in 1898, until his own demise in 1937. Four other closely related sections from the same mummy wrappings are known: three now in the British Museum (EA 75197; with parts of chapters 15 and 17), and another in the American private collection of the late Victor Pafundi, Jr. (1949-2018; item reproduced in B. Briers, Egyptian Mummies, Unraveling the Secrets of an Ancient Art, 1996, fig. 12, and including a further part of chapter 17). Usually such inscribed mummy wrappings on linen measure only 1-2 m., and so the known sections here may well be almost the entirety of the original object. Those sections now in the British Museum were offered in Bonhams, 21 October 1999, lots 383 and 384, and acquired immediately after the sale by the British Museum Friends, where their link to "Zaki Todros" and his role as consul is recorded, this later corrected in the British Museum catalogue to Toudros Boulos. It is most likely that he owned all of them at one time, dividing them up and selling them to different European and American clients.2. This fragment re-emerged on the modern market in the catalogue of Jacques Schulman, Amsterdam, his list 236 (1988), no. 6.3. Schøyen Collection, London and Oslo, their MS 125, acquired from Schulman in July 1988. Text:These mummy wrappings are perhaps all that survive to record the life of Anchhap, who lived in the Ptolemaic period, in the generations after Alexander the Great's seizure of power over Egypt and installation of his general Ptolemy there as sub-ruler. The practise of writing sections of the Book of Dead directly onto the linen wrappings of the deceased began during the 30th or Sebennytian dynasty (379-343 BC.) but only became common during the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC.). It probably descends from the earliest history of the Book of the Dead, and the practise of wrapping the body in an inscribed and illustrated shroud. Linen as a media is not as forgiving as papyrus or parchment and the quality of such examples varies greatly. That here is in a fine hieratic script, suggesting an accomplished scribe. The text here is usually named the 'Coming Forth by Day Triumphant over All Enemies', and is one of the longest and most interesting individual compositions preserved within the Egyptian Book of the Dead. It sets out a long series of religious sayings narrated by the creator-god, within a structure of internal commentary and glossing questions followed by answers, in the form: "I am that great cat beside whom the ished-tree was split in Iunu on that night of active battle, and making the guard against the rebels on that day on which the enemies of the Lord of All were destroyed. What does it mean? That great cat beside whom the ished-tree was split in Iunu is Ra himself, called Cat when Sia said of him 'that is how he is, by what he has done' and his name became Cat". Published:Online as part of the Das Altägyptische Totenbuchprojekt, Bonn (but note wrongly recorded there as among the holdings in Oslo), and TM 114017. 

Exhibited 19th C. Russian Icon, "Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra". Tempera/wood. Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in the 3rd century AD. He was taken to his uncle for religious instruction and later became a monk. When his parents died, he gave all his inheritance to the poor. Because of his charitable and spiritual life, Nicholas was made bishop of Myra in Asia Minor. He is said to have been a defender of the faith and of the Trinity doctrine at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. For his Trinitarian position he was stripped of his bishop's stole and Gospels and was imprisoned. It is said that Christ restored the Gospels to him, and Mary presented him with a bishop's stole (omofor). Christ and Mary are seen in this icon at the upper left and right. Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in the 3rd century AD. He was taken to his uncle for religious instruction and later became a monk. When his parents died, he gave all his inheritance to the poor. Because of his charitable and spiritual life, Nicholas was made bishop of Myra in Asia Minor. He is said to have been a defender of the faith and of the Trinity doctrine at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. For his Trinitarian position he was stripped of his bishop's stole and Gospels and was imprisoned. It is said that Christ restored the Gospels to him, and Mary presented him with a bishop's stole (omofor). Christ and Mary are seen in this icon at the upper left and right. Size: 14 x 12 in. Previous Exhibitions:Brevard Museum of Art (Foosaner Art Museum), Melbourne, FLSept - Nov 1994Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, FLNov 1995 - Jan 1996Hearst Center for the Arts, Cedar Falls, IADec 1996 - Jan 1997Durham Western Heritage Museum, Omaha, NEMarch - May 1998Biblical Arts Center, Dallas, TXDec 1998Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida, Panama City, FLDec 1998 - Jan 1999Gallery at the American Bible Society, New York, NYJune - Oct 1999Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FLAug 2000 - Jan 2001Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MAFeb - May 2001Loveland Museum and Gallery, Loveland, COJan - March 2002Gallery at the American Bible Society, New York, NYApril - June 2002Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel, MSOct - Nov 2002Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden, Winter Park, FLApril - June 2004Hearst Art Gallery as St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CANov - Dec 2004Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden, Winter Park, FLOct 2013 - April 2014

Circle of Nicolaes Molenaer (Flemish 1630-1676)Winter landscape with frozen lakeOil on canvas82 x 125cm (32¼ x 49 in.)The present work is a typical example of a genre painting from the Dutch Golden Age, a period in which the culture, art, military and trade of the Netherlands was amongst the most celebrated in the world. It was a time of unprecedented wealth in the country leading to the growth of an influential middle-class born out of prosperous trading relations with the Far East and the Baltic states and Poland. Cultural and artistic trends were driven by this newly-enriched mercantile class leading to a focus on scenes of everyday life over historical and religious painting. A further contributing factor was the counter-reformation - unlike in Catholic Europe, the Netherlandish Protestant church was not an artistic driving force. First made popular by the 16th century Dutch master, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, views of frozen lakes with people enjoying sporting pursuits on the ice, quickly became a celebrated genre in itself with many artists producing these idealised winter scenes, many with the typical Dutch windmill in the distance. These scenes are also truly democratic, depicting all ages and areas of society, full of joy and gaiety. Unlike much of the art of the past, they are not the preserve of the aristocratic and rich, but open to everyone and would have been displayed proudly in the homes of the newly prosperous merchants. Condition Report: The canvas appears to have on old reline. There is craquelure and surface dirt throughout together with isolated areas of scattered flaking and associated loss but this is really only noticeable when the viewer is up close to the work. Rubbing and associated losses to the framing edges. The lower edge of the canvas with some light undulation - possibly caused either by the reline, or by being hung in a position where it was exposed to fluctuating temperatures. Inspection under UV reveals scattered in-filling and minor retouching throughout.Condition Report Disclaimer

C. 1-300 AD. Roman. A heavy bronze armilla bracelet with rectangular section and circular terminals. Armillae were armband style bracelets awarded as a military decoration. The rank of the soldier in question determined the metal from which the bracelet was made either gold, silver or bronze. These bracelets were not for everyday wear, but were occasion pieces worn at special military and civic events suchs a triumphs, religious ceremonies and games. Superb condition. Wearable. Size: H:66mm; 38g. Provenance: From the private collection of a Somerset gentleman; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1980s on the UK /European art markets.

C. 1-300 AD. Roman. A fine cast bronze armilla bracelet with rectangular section and tapering terminals. Armillae were armband style bracelets awarded as a military decoration. The rank of the soldier in question determined the metal from which the bracelet was made either gold, silver or bronze. These bracelets were not for everyday wear but were occasion pieces worn at special military and civic events suchs a triumphs, religious ceremonies and games. Superb Condition. Wearable.Size: H:59mm; 13.5g. Provenance: From an old British collection, acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s.

Crusader period, 11th-15th century. Silver Christian ring with circular loop and leaf-shaped bezel featuring an incised motif of two confronted fish. In the christian tradition, the fish is a symbol of Christin use from the 2nd Century AD, and perhaps adopted from pre-christian religious imagery. It is traditionally thought that ancient Christians, who were initially persecuted by the Roman state, used the fish symbol to mark meeting places and tombs, or to distinguish friends from foes. The symbol, however, remained important well into the Medieval period, as can be seen on this beautiful silver ring, dating to the Crusader period (11th-15th centuries), when western European Christians launched, military expeditions in response to centuries of Muslim wars of expansion in the Holy Lands. Good condition, wearable. Size: D:20mm/L:25mm; 3.5g. Provenance: From an old British collection, acquired on the UK art market in the 1990s.

C. 450-1 BC.  La Tene culture. A set of two iron leaf shaped spearheads with raised midribs. Each of these items has been ritually bent. Iron weapons were an important part of La Tene culture, often appearing in warrior’s graves. The ritual bending of such weapons was a way to consign these valuable weapons to the graves or dedicate them in religious ritual. Weapons such as this sword served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. For more information about ritually bent spears see Ivan Drni? 2015, La Tène spearheads from south-eastern Pannonia and the northern Balkans: typology, chronology, ritual, and social context. Good condition. Size: L:200mm / W:230mm ; 497g. Provenance: Property of a professional London art expert; obtained from an old British collection formed in the 1980s.

C.900-1200 AD, Byzantine. Beautiful gold wedding ring with circular hoop decorated with openwork filigree meanders and granulation; the bezel comprises an elaborate raised crown design. Marriage, in both legal and social senses, underwent considerable development throughout the course of Byzantine history. Perhaps the greatest impetus for change in comparison to earlier Roman marriage, was the progressive migration of marriage law from civil to church courts, and the eventual requirement that marriage services be conducted by the Church. The family, especially the aristocratic family also underwent changes. There were some continuities as well, of course. The basic family unit, consisting not only of parents and their immediate children, but also grandchildren, uncles and aunts, as well as family relationships established by a whole series of religious acts - adoption, god-parentship, suntechnia (co-god-parentship), and adelphopoiia, (literally brother making.) Such alliances were planned with care, with an intent to strengthen the position and material well-being of a family. Excellent condition; wearable. Size: D 20mm; US 10.5; UK U; 5.09g. Provenance: Property of a central London Ancient Art Gallery; previously obtained from a British private collection formed before 2000.

Kadhim Hayder (Iraq, 1932-1985)Divine Horses (From the Marty's Epic) oil on canvas, framedsigned (lower left), executed in 196570 x 100cm (27 9/16 x 39 3/8in).Footnotes:DIVINE HORSES (1965) / APPROACHING OBLIVION (1984)TWO HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT WORKS BY KADHIM HAYDER FROM HIS ARTISTIC PRIME AND THE END OF HIS LIFE INCLUDING A MAJOR PAINTING FROM THE 1965 MARTYR'S EPIC 'A elegiac tone has marked the work of Kadhim Hayderfor some years, ever since he painted a large number of pictures onthe martyrdom of Hussein at Karbala, but in a manner quite differentfrom that of Azzawi. For him the religious inspiration of Islamcomes through a sense of tragedy, in signs and symbols that he makeshis own; horses, helmets, swords, spears, men, women, tents, conspiracies, treacheries - the whole phantasmagoria of ancient battles ina peculiarly personal idiom.Man defiant though prisoner, though martyred and quartered;such has been his theme for a long time, partly derived from Arabhistory as he understands it, where much of his modern vision isrooted. But Kadhim Hayder has also employed his style in telling ofman in search of himself, in search of love, in search of wonder.,He unabashedly mixes the figurative with the abstract, but havingdevised a vocabulary of distinctly personal forms, the mixture serveshis purpose well, when figure and abstract seem to exchange functionand complement one another very much as in Sumerian art. His Buraq is thus in part the horse of the Prophet's night journey, and inpart the soul's journey through the dark blues of man's endless nightof mystery.'- Jabra Ibrahim JabraProvenance:Property from the collection of a prominent academic, Paris,Acquired directly from the artist by the above, who was a colleague of Kadhim Hayder at the Academy of Fine Arts Baghdad, 1970'sExhibited:The Marty's Epic, Kadhim Hayder, Baghdad National Museum, 1965The Marty's Epic, Kadhim Hayder, Sursock Museum, Beirut 1965Published:Fanoon Tashkili, Beirut, 1965THE PRESENT WORK 'I learnt from Hussain how to achieve victory while being oppressed'- Mahatma Gandhi Vigorous, dynamic and intense, 'Divine Horses' is a seminal work by one of Iraq's most enigmatic modern artists, Kadhim Hayder. Part of the artists major body of work, known as the 'Marty's Epic', the present painting was presented at the artists landmark shows in the National Museum of Modern Art in Baghdad and then in Beirut in 1965. Being offered in the market for the first time, the work comes from the prestigious private collection of one of Hayder's colleagues at the Baghdad Faculty of fine Arts.Kadhim Hayder was a master of weaving symbolism, poetic allegory and abstraction into compositions that were predominantly narrative in subject matter. As a poet, he had a lifelong fascination with the Shi'ite epic of the Martyrdom of Imam Hussein and this episode forms the subject matter of his most significant body of work, 'The Epic of the Martyr' which was exhibited in 1965 at the National Museum of Modern Art. A popular subject in Shi'ite folklore, the story of Hussein's martyrdom has been a subject of both art and popular religious expression for centuries The present work must therefore be understood in reference to Hayder's wider cycle of works dealing with the battle of Karbala; the white horses of Imam Hussein are seen mourning the death of their Martyr beneath an ominous moon. Aesthetically rich, Hayder's horses cluster together in overlapping shapes which evoke the anthropomorphised behaviour of their mourning. Kadhim Hayder studied literature at the Higher Institute for Teachers; in 1957 he earned a diploma from the Institute of Fine Arts. Between 1959 and 1962 he studied theatre design at the Central College of the Arts in London. Upon returning to Iraq, he taught at the Institute of Fine Arts, opening a department of design. He continued to teach at the Academy of Fine Arts, when it replaced the Institute of Fine Arts; his book al-Takhtit wa Elwan (Sketching and Colours) became standard reading for students there. In 1971 he organized a group called the Academicians, based on an exhibition and around a text he wrote reclaiming a Platonic notion of the academy as a way to relate the different arts to each other, and to the arts of the past. He served as president of the Union of Iraqi Artists, the Union of Arab Artists, and the Society of Iraqi Plastic Artists. Hayder began showing work while he was still a student, at a number of collective exhibitions held at Nadi al-Mansur, the major exhibition space in Baghdad during the 1950s. When his work and that of other young artists was rejected for exhibition at Nadi al-Mansur in 1958, he organized a counter-exhibition of the rejected. He also displayed his work at Al-Wasiti Gallery in Baghdad in 1964, and in 1965 he exhibited the series The Epic of the Martyr at the National Museum of Modern Art. Selected works from the series were subsequently shown in Beirut, both on their own, and as a prominent part of a collective exhibition of work by Iraqi artists at the Sursock Museum, a show that toured a number of European capitals under the sponsorship of the Gulbenkian Foundation.His work was included in many major exhibitions throughout the 1970s, such as the First Arab Biennale, Baghdad, 1974; Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 1976; and the International Art Exhibition for Palestine held in Beirut, 1978. In 1984 he held a final solo show at the Iraqi Cultural Centre in London. His work was quickly acquired by private collectors, and thus it is only in recent years that it has entered public collections beside that of the Museum of Modern Art in Baghdad, such as that of the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Arab Art in Doha.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: PP This lot is owned by a private individual. The right of return enjoyed by EU customers is not applicable.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Four paintings of officials, religious figures, and tradespeople Tanjore, circa 1800-10gouache and gold on paper, black margin rules, white outer borders 380 x 290 mm.(4)Footnotes:The subjects depicted are:An official and his wife, holding a musical instrument.A religious devotee, perhaps a Muslim, or perhaps a soothsayer, wearing brightly-coloured clothes, and his wife, holding utensils.A soldier carrying a spear, and his wife.A weaver and his wife, holding a distaff for winding thread.The religious devotee and his wife, in almost identical poses and dress, were the subjects of a Tanjore painting sold in these rooms, Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 30th April 2019, lot 180. The same figures appear once again in a painting in the V&A, dated circa 1780-90 (illustrated in M. Archer, Company Paintings: Indian Paintings of the British Period, London 1992, opp. p. 21; see pp. 47-49), where the contemporary British inscription refers to the male figure as A Tadwan or Malabar fortune-teller.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: PP This lot is owned by a private individual. The right of return enjoyed by EU customers is not applicable.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

14th-10th century BC. A sheet-silver chalice with flared foot, narrow stem, flared mouth; carinated band beneath the rim and repoussé guilloche decoration; frieze depicting four vines with crossed stocks extending to scrolled ends with detailed leaves and bunches of grapes; below the vines and between them four human figures comprising: a half-height crouching(?) male facing left with filet to the brow, fringed cloak, cup in the raised right hand; a seated male facing right with chalice in the right hand, low table by his foot with bowl and cup(?); seated male facing left with mantle to the left shoulder and fringed robe, holding on his lap a curved implement (pruning sickle?); the stem with tiered meander pattern. See Amiet, P., Art of the Ancient Near East, New York, 1977; Aruz, J., Art of the First Cities. The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus, New York, 2003; Black, J. and Green, A., Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia, Austin, 2014.216 grams, 12.5cm (5"). From the private collection of a North West London lady; previously with a central London gallery; formerly acquired before 1990. The guilloche border is a prominent feature of many cultures of Mesopotamia and the wider region, found for example on chlorite chalices, cups and other vessels of the Early Dynastic Period (Aruz, items 231, 232, 237 and others) and in repoussé goldwork (Aruz, item 271"). The figural scenes of drinking beneath the vines with their burden of leaves and bunches of grapes are suggestive of the chalice's use as a vessel for the distribution of wine fermented from the grapes depicted in those scenes. Alcohol was routinely used in religious ceremonies as a libation (or possibly for lustration), while fermented drinks based on grapes and dates were available (Black & Green, 2014, p.28"). The figure shown with a reaping hook or sickle suggests that the maker or owner of the chalice was familiar with the cultivation and harvesting of grapes in order to produce wine. Fine condition; fragmentary.

12th-13th century AD. A standing figure of Prajnaparamita in black granite with ribbed sanghati to hips, the hair gathered tight to the head and surmounted by a four-lobed bun held with a band; mounted on custom-made stand for display. See Sotheby’s, Indian and Southeast Asian Art, New York, 20 September 2002, for sculptures of similar style and date.41 kg total, 129cm including stand (51"). Property of a Cambridgeshire gentleman since 1990; previously in a private collection formed in the 1980s; accompanied by geological report No. TL3254 by geology consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.157941-10044. Prajnaparamita, 'the Mother of Buddhas', is held as an incarnation of the divine word. Buddhist belief holds that this goddess is the deification of the Prajnaparamita-sutra, a sacred religious text in which Gautama Buddha is reputed to have put forward his teachings. 'Prajnaparamita' means 'perfection of insight'. Fair condition.

11th-13th century AD. A polished stone standing male deity, probably Vishnu, with four arms, face with linear ridge forming a heavy brow, slender eyes with defined pupils, elongated ears, wearing a rectangular cloth (sampot) around the lower part of the body with a double fishtail pleat and frontal sash, conical knot of hair (chignon) arranged on the head with incised decoration, detailed diadem; mounted on custom-made stand for display. See Tucker, J. and Tozer, A., An Important Group of Sculptures from India, Southeast Asia and China, London, 2018, p.18, for a comparable example with discussion; see Sotheby's, Khmer, Thai, Indian and Himalayan Art, London, 12 October 1989, items 61, 68, 77, 82, for comparable examples.68 kg total, 135cm including stand (53"). Property of a Cambridgeshire gentleman since 1990; previously in a private collection formed in the 1980s; accompanied by geological report No. TL3259 by geology consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.157943-10045. Vishnu is a principal Hindu deity, considered the protector of the world. Vishnu has ten avatars through which he manifests in order to protect moral and religious codes and to combat evil, and he appears on earth to help humankind in moments of crisis, although not all avatars of Vishnu are benevolent. He was first incarnated as the fish Matsya, and his incarnations follow an evolutionary pattern from fish and reptiles, to animals, the dwarf Vamana, to men and finally the future creator, Kalkin. Vishnu is part of the Trimurti, a union of the three cosmic functions of creation, maintenance and destruction embodied by Vishnu (maintenance), Brahma (creation) and Shiva (destruction"). Fine condition.

3rd millennium BC. A carved marble idol; arms bent at the elbow where a contrast in the size of the upper and lower arm is apparent; wide hips with tapering lower body; legs and pelvic region defined with incised lines at the front of the body; buttocks defined by a single downward facing triangular-shaped incised line at the rear; mounted on a custom-made stand. See von Bothmer, D., Glories of the Past: Ancient Art from the Shelby White and Leon Levy Collection, New York, 1990.526 grams total, 23cm including stand (9"). From an important London collection; formerly in an old private English collection, formed in the 1970s. Early Cycladic sculpture comprises predominantly female figures that range from simple modification of the stone to developed representations of the human form, some with natural proportions and some more idealised. Many of these figures, especially those of the Spedos type, display a remarkable consistency in form and proportion that suggests they were planned with a compass. Scientific analysis has shown that the surface of the marble was painted with mineral-based pigments-azurite for blue and iron ores, or cinnabar for red. The exact purpose of these figures is not known but their most likely function is as some sort of religious idol and the predominance of female figures, sometimes pregnant, suggests a fertility deity. Supporting this view is the fact that figurines have been found outside of a burial context at settlements on Melos, Kea and Thera. Alternatively, precisely because the majority of figures have been found in graves, perhaps they were guardians to, or representations of, the deceased. A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website. Fine condition.

4th-3rd millennium BC. A fine grained marble figure of a stylised female; flat, fan-shaped head with long prominent nose ridge; flat lozenge-shaped body, small breasts; incised lines for the arms, legs together defined by incised line; mounted on a custom-made support. 430 grams, 27cm including support (10 1/4"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired from a major Mayfair gallery; acquired on the London art market before 2000. Early Cycladic sculpture comprises predominantly female figures that range from simple modification of the stone to developed representations of the human form, some with natural proportions and some more idealised. Many of these figures, especially those of the Spedos type, display a remarkable consistency in form and proportion that suggests they were planned with a compass. Scientific analysis has shown that the surface of the marble was painted with mineral-based pigments-azurite for blue and iron ores, or cinnabar for red. The exact purpose of these figures is not known but their most likely function is as some sort of religious idol and the predominance of female figures, sometimes pregnant, suggests a fertility deity. Supporting this view is the fact that figurines have been found outside of a burial context at settlements on Melos, Kea and Thera. Alternatively, precisely because the majority of figures have been found in graves, perhaps they were guardians to, or representations of, the deceased. Fine condition, old repair.

2nd century AD. A bronze statuette of a stepping horse, advancing with one foreleg raised and bent, incised stylised bridle details to the head, notched mane. See Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 246. 38 grams, 43mm high (1 3/4"). Ex important Dutch collection; acquired on the European art market in the 1970s. In the Classical period, large and small statuettes were primarily religious in nature. Bronze horse or horse-and-rider statuettes were typically placed on the tops of columns set up at sanctuaries by the animal's owner in commemoration of one or more victories in the horse races held at the Panhellenic sanctuaries of Olympia, Delphi, Isthmia, and Nemea. This practice continued in Hellenistic and Roman times, when other uses were also possible for such small sculptures of a horse, such as votive offerings at shrines. A similar statuette has been recently found by the Bulgarian Archaeologists in the fortress of Rusokastro, in Southeast Bulgaria, and various specimens have been found in the Balkan regions, which may be the place of production of such statuettes. Fine condition.

3rd century AD. A discoid votive lead plaque with billetted border and pelletted ring, central scene of a facing worshipper (Helen of Sparta) and tripod altar, personification of the sun with radiating beams to the right, stylised moon on the left, snakes over their heads, vegetation and punched annular motifs in the field, two cavalrymen (Castor and Pollux) flanking the central figure from left and right. See Gorny & Mosch (Giessener Muenzhandlung), 16th October 2001, lot 3454, for similar; see Strokova, L., Zubar V., and Treister M. Y., Two Lead Plaques with a Depiction of a Danubian Horseman from the Collection of the National Museum of the History of the Ukraine in Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia, 10,1-2, 2004, pp.67-76, for discussion and parallels. 107 grams, 69mm (2 1/2"). Property of a European collector; previously acquired on the UK art market prior to 1980. In the upper portion of the plaque we can see the personification of the moon (left) and the sun (right"). Two snakes over them usually connected to the concept of immortality. The woman in the middle is usually considered to be Helen surrounded by the Dioscuri (i.e. Castor and Pollux"). Both the Dioscuri are represented as the Danubian horseman. Lying figures are below the Dioscuri; under Helen's feet you can clearly see a tripod. The Thracian (Danubian) pantheon was very complex and historical information are mainly taken from Graeco-Roman sources (which of course translate those gods into the Graeco-Roman pantheon) and archaeological evidence. The Danubian horseman is interpreted by some modern scholars as Apollo, Zamolxis, the ancestors' divinity and so on; the two horsemen like the brothers of Helen, the Dioscuri. The figure is said to be Helen or for others, Bendis, the Thracian goddess usually holding a bow and spears. In a period of strong religious syncretism the representation of (the same) divinity was influenced by local cults. Fine condition.

Nikiforos Lytras (Greek, 1832-1904)A moment of prayer signed in Greek (lower left)oil on panel31.5 x 18.5 cm.Footnotes:ProvenancePrivate collection, Athens.Bonhams, London, The Greek Sale, 26 November 2013, lot 16. Acquired from the above sale by the present owner. This wonderful vignette of church genre evoking a sentiment of pious respect, heart-felt religiosity and spiritual experience, showcases Lytras's amazing skill in the freer handling of form. The generalised rendering, diffused outlines and elimination of detail point to the artist's ability to shift the centre of gravity in Greek art from the descriptive to the purely pictorial, from the external approach to the painting's inner life. Forms are simplified, drawing loosens up and surfaces are handled with broader brushstrokes and heavier application of paint, while the human subjects are rendered with a deliberate indifference for their material substance. Immersed in the spiritual ambiance, the priest, the young woman and her two children surrender their individual specificity as something incongruous and incidental to take on a symbolic quality, honouring the divine. Humility and veneration endow the scene with a solemn grandeur accentuated by a limited palette of subdued hues that perfectly match the austerity of the Byzantine temple. Promoting a world of everlasting spiritual values vis-à-vis modernity's transient, fragmentary and largely superficial experience, this evocation of noble sentiment and archaic simplicity conveys to the secularised viewer a sense of nostalgic desire for more stable times, for an age-old, uncorrupted world of firm religious belief and pure spiritual feeling. Here, Lytras seems to concentrate upon both the virtues of the contemplative, moral life and the veneration of the Greek Orthodox tradition, which he believed was indispensable for the nation's survival and well being. 'Lytras seeks to sustain the Greek people's adherence to their religious traditions, customs and ceremonial practices, and enhance their religious sentiment, well aware of its consoling powers in the face of life's adversities and sudden changes.'1 As Lytras himself used to say 'the customs of the Greek people brought independence and must be protected like the apple of one's eye.'2 1 X. Sochos, Greek Artists [in Greek], Leonis editions, Athens 1930, p. 25. 2 Y. Kerofylas, Nikiforos Lytras, Patriarch of Modern Greek Painting [in Greek], Filippotis editions, Athens 1997, p. 57.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Oil on canvas (Dimensions: 62cm x 47cm (24.5in x 18.5in)) Eustache Le Sueur (1617- 1655) was a prolific French artist of the seventeenth century, and one of the original founders of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1648. A lifelong Parisian, Le Sueur trained with Louis XIII’s premier peintre du roi Simon Vouet from 1632 before leaving the studio and going on to be elected as one of the original twelve elders in charge of the Royal Academy’s administration. Chiefly known for his religious scenes, Le Sueur’s compositions follows in the gracefulness of his master Vouet and is remembered as one of the establishing artists of French classicism. The Deposition depicts the scene of Christ being taken down from the cross after his crucifixion. A partial label to the verso of the painting reveals that this oil on canvas was formerly in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch at Boughton House near Kettering in Northamptonshire. The label refers to a sale in 1942 in which the Duke was the vendor –establishing him as the 8 th Duke of Buccleuch, Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, who held the dukedom from 1935 until his death in 1973. Montagu Douglas Scott was a politician and a military leader, commanding the 4 th King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Works by Eustache Le Sueur can be found in important private collections and public institutions internationally, such as the musée du Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Morison (Stanley) . John Fell, The University Press and the 'Fell' Types..., 1st edition, Oxford University Press, 1967, 22 plates including colour frontispiece, publishers original blue cloth in dust jacket, covers slightly toned & rubbed with small tears to head & foot of spine, folio, together with: Symonds (John Addington). The Letters of John Addington Symonds, edited by Herbert M. Schueller and Robert L. Peters, 3 volumes, Detroit, 1967-69, monochrome plates, original uniform green cloth gilt in dust wrappers, thick 8vo, plus: The Cambridge History of the British Empire, edited by J. Holland Rose, A.P. Newton and E.A. Benians, 2 volumes, Cambridge University Press, 1929/40 respectively, top edge gilt, original blue cloth gilt in dust wrappers, rubbed and spine somewhat dulled, thick 8vo, and other history and related, mostly academic publications, including Emma Cownie , Religious Patronage In Anglo-Norman England 1066-1135, 1998, Lesley Smith & Benedicta Ward, Intellectual Life in the Middle Ages, 1992, S.A. Skilliter, William Harborne and the Trade with Turkey 1578-1582, 1977, Bertram D. Wolfe, Diego Rivera, His Life and Times, New York, 1939, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, 1936 (rebound), etc., mostly original cloth in dust wrappers, all 8vo (except first title folio) (Qty: 6 shelves)

Bulgaria 1969 - Religious Art, SG 1889-1897 m/m set in blocks of (4)

Tripod mount, Circa 43-410 AD. A rare example of a Romano-British bronze tripod mount. The piece is figural and styled in the form of the 'Mother Goddess' with stylised features and decoration. The piece has a rectangular socket at the base, into which one of the tripod arms would have fitted and a single rivet hole on the reverse near the base. The lower section of the object is rectangular and undecorated. Above this section are the body and head, which are both lozenege shaped. The head has a rounded knop on the top and the body an integral hook on the reverse, bending 90 degrees upwards half-way along the shank. Dimensions: height: 80.28 mm; width: 44.89 mm; thickness: 16.58 mm; length of shank: 14.68 mm; weight: 169.61g.In terms of the iconography, this example is clearly a much more stylised version of the usual tripod mounts that are found dating to the Roman period. This would suggest an attempt to replicate religious iconography.A very similar example, identified simply as a "Celtic Goddess", was found in Cirencester, Gloucestershire (Toynbee, J. M. C. , 1964, pp. 103-4 and pl. XXVI). The sex of the individual in that example is made clear by two pellets on the chest. When one compares the iconography of this object with depictions of other female Romano-British deities, such as the Mother Goddesses, the top knot does seem to be a feature shared amongst many of them. Perhaps this depiction is therefore meant to be one of the many female deities that can be found in Britain and the wider Empire, during the Roman period.Reference: Toynbee, J. M. C. 1964 Art in Britain under the Romans. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Recorded as: PAS, ESS-A9905A.

ANCIENT CELTIC SHIELD WESTERN EUROPE, 5TH CENTURY B.C. hammered sheet bronze, of circular form with an outer border of small raised dots, moving inwards a series of concentric ridges to a central dome and large bronze rivet projecting from the centre, pierced with multiple perforations, raised on a bespoke mount (Dimensions: 40.6cm diameter) Provenance: Private collection, Swizerland, acquired prior to 1990 Bonhams, New Bond Street, London. Antiquities, 1st May 2013, Lot 240 Private collection, United Kingdom Note: This shield is the work of a master metalsmith active at some point in the 5 th century B.C. producing arms and armour for the elite of society. Of circular form and produced from a single sheet of bronze; the design features a series of concentric bands rising into a domed boss at the centre decorated with a repoussé border of small dots. Its design suggests an origin in Ireland or perhaps the British Isles, indeed a similar example can be found in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin, no. IA:1872.15. As an actual defensive weapon, it is wholly impractical for use in battle. A sword or spear would comfortably punch through the sheet bronze and research shows that whilst the vast majority of shields found dating to this period are constructed from metal, actual shields used in combat would have most commonly been formed of bark or hide. Instead, this piece was created as a work of art, to be worn and displayed on particular occasions, festivals and religious events. In a society where worked metal remained a highly valuable commodity, the shining polished bronze would have dazzled and impressed. The individual who owned this shield would have been of chiefly rank, their status demonstrated by their ability to commission and own prized objects such as this. The most important aspect of this shield though is not its original design, but the series of diamond shaped perforations which are visibly present across the entire body. These are spear marks - but as previously mentioned this was not an object to be used in combat. In order to understand what is going on here we must look into ritual practices that there were written about in contemporary Roman sources and have been attested by modern archaeologists. The ancient Celts were a polytheistic society, their deities, much like those of the Mediterranean, required constant appeasement through sacrifice and gift giving. This gifts provided to the gods needed to be items of the highest value possible to society, so metalwork; with its rarity, beauty and complex production was often selected. A number of studies have demonstrated that the deposition of artefacts in sites linked to water; rivers, lakes and springs - was a particularly widespread custom amongst the Celts in the Bronze and Iron Ages. In fact, we continue this practice today when we throw coins into wells to make a wish. In short, water was seen as a threshold or gateway to the divine world where the gifts could be received and prayers answered. However, before the object could be given, first it had to be broken or “killed”. Swords would be bent, razors or shears blunted and shields pierced. To explain this practice, one theory contents that the gift could not be given until the “power” of the object was broken and its spirit removed. A more modern parallel would be the Polynesian concept of mana , the life force that permeates not only people, but objects. Any article worn or owned by an individual can become imbued with mana through their accomplishments and personality. In this context, ancient Celtic shields such as the present example such would have been seen as personal to such an intense extent that it is hard to comprehend. They were not simply the property of an individual, they were an indivisible part of them. As such, this remarkable shield is a window into both ancient Celtic craftsmanship and ritual practice more than 2,500 years ago.

Ca.1000 BC. Important Western Asiatic, Luristan Master of Animals Sceptre; used during religious rituals; including a custom made stand; Good Condition;Size:320mm;410g; Provenance: London Art Gallery, previously in an old French collection, acquired in the 1960s.

§ PETER HOWSON O.B.E. (SCOTTISH B.1958) TWO BROTHERSSigned, oil on canvas (Dimensions: 91.5cm x 106.5cm (36in x 42in))Biography: Peter Howson is arguably one of the finest and certainly one of the most controversial British painters of the late 20th and 21st centuries. Born in London in 1958, he moved with his parents to Scotland aged four and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1975 - 1977, under Sandy Moffat. On graduating, he took on various jobs, including nightclub bouncer and supermarket manager before enlisting as a private soldier in the Royal Highland Fusiliers. In 1979, disenchanted with the army, he returned to art school and from 1981 began to show at Edinburgh's influential 369 Gallery. What might be said to be Howson's signature style first emerged in a series of murals made for Feltham Community Association in London in 1982, painted in an urban realist manner. He quickly developed this into a style highly reminiscent of Max Beckmann, with exaggerated musculature, sinister characters and voluptuous nudes. He also embraced Beckmann's subject matter of extreme physical cruelty, depravity and dysfunctional behaviour. He was further influenced by the Mexican muralists of the early 20th century including Hidalgo, Rivera and Clemente. In his early works, Howson concentrated on characterizations of working class men, at the gym, at football matches, in the pub, or merely in a crowd. The exemplar was his iconic painting The Heroic Dosser (1987, National Galleries of Scotland). Tied up with such subject matter were his own memories of the brutality of his life as a soldier, together with his having been victimized and bullied at school and the sexual abuse he had suffered as a child. All of these fed into an art that became ever more brutal. It was almost inevitable, given the honesty, and graphically human monumentality of his work, that In 1992 Howson should have been commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to record the conflict in the former Yugoslavia and a year later been appointed official British war artist for Bosnia. The effect on the artist however, was near catastrophic and he suffered a breakdown. In fact Howson had always lived in a constant state of nervous anxiety. He has Asperger's syndrome, an autistic condition that manifests itself principally in an unusual memory for detail and an obsessive need for routine. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Howson's work continued to display increasing levels of violence and voyeuristic sexuality. In 2000 Howson was treated for long-term alcoholism and drug addiction and that same year, possibly as result of this treatment, famously underwent a conversion to Christianity. Thereafter for a while, his work began to exhibit a strong religious content. Today, as always enigmatic, shy and unpredictable, he remains one of the most fascinating figures in 20th century British art, reflected by high profile patrons including David Bowie, Sylvester Stallone, Jack Nicholson and Madonna, who had apparently hung one of his canvases in her bedroom.

§ PETER HOWSON O.B.E. (SCOTTISH B.1958) MAN WITH TOWER BLOCKSigned, pastel (Dimensions: 27.5cm x 20cm (10.75in x 8in))Biography: Peter Howson is arguably one of the finest and certainly one of the most controversial British painters of the late 20th and 21st centuries. Born in London in 1958, he moved with his parents to Scotland aged four and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1975 - 1977, under Sandy Moffat. On graduating, he took on various jobs, including nightclub bouncer and supermarket manager before enlisting as a private soldier in the Royal Highland Fusiliers. In 1979, disenchanted with the army, he returned to art school and from 1981 began to show at Edinburgh's influential 369 Gallery. What might be said to be Howson's signature style first emerged in a series of murals made for Feltham Community Association in London in 1982, painted in an urban realist manner. He quickly developed this into a style highly reminiscent of Max Beckmann, with exaggerated musculature, sinister characters and voluptuous nudes. He also embraced Beckmann's subject matter of extreme physical cruelty, depravity and dysfunctional behaviour. He was further influenced by the Mexican muralists of the early 20th century including Hidalgo, Rivera and Clemente. In his early works, Howson concentrated on characterizations of working class men, at the gym, at football matches, in the pub, or merely in a crowd. The exemplar was his iconic painting The Heroic Dosser (1987, National Galleries of Scotland). Tied up with such subject matter were his own memories of the brutality of his life as a soldier, together with his having been victimized and bullied at school and the sexual abuse he had suffered as a child. All of these fed into an art that became ever more brutal. It was almost inevitable, given the honesty, and graphically human monumentality of his work, that In 1992 Howson should have been commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to record the conflict in the former Yugoslavia and a year later been appointed official British war artist for Bosnia. The effect on the artist however, was near catastrophic and he suffered a breakdown. In fact Howson had always lived in a constant state of nervous anxiety. He has Asperger's syndrome, an autistic condition that manifests itself principally in an unusual memory for detail and an obsessive need for routine. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Howson's work continued to display increasing levels of violence and voyeuristic sexuality. In 2000 Howson was treated for long-term alcoholism and drug addiction and that same year, possibly as result of this treatment, famously underwent a conversion to Christianity. Thereafter for a while, his work began to exhibit a strong religious content. Today, as always enigmatic, shy and unpredictable, he remains one of the most fascinating figures in 20th century British art, reflected by high profile patrons including David Bowie, Sylvester Stallone, Jack Nicholson and Madonna, who had apparently hung one of his canvases in her bedroom.