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Lot 27
2nd-3rd century AD.A delicate gold bracelet formed as a rectangular-section guilloche with spiked tail and inturned loop head. 4.30 grams, 43mm (1 3/4"). Very fine condition.Property of a Swindon, UK, collector; acquired TimeLine Auctions, 1st December 2011, lot 237; formerly UK market, 1980s.Snakes were a popular subject for jewellery from the Greek through to the Roman periods and are possibly associated with the Agathodaimon, or good spirit, that was believed to inhabit each home and protect the family. The snake was also believed to have magic powers and the motif was believed to ward off evil powers. Excavations at the House of the Faun in Pompeii have uncovered two similar bracelets in gold, now in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, in Naples.
Lot 2326
1st millennium BC. A large and ornate openwork cast bronze plaque or mount depicting, to the centre, an anthropomorphic figure with shoulder-length hair and downturned mouth, wearing a tunic and trousers; above the head, a disc with human facial features, flanked by small anthropomorphs; the central figure's feet claw-like, standing on the bodies of two long-necked dragons; the arms outstretched, with fringed sleeves, a staff in each hand; to the reverse, two loops for attachment. See Rieff Anawalt, P. Shamanic Regalia in the Far North, London, 2014. 181 grams, 17cm (6 1/2"). Property of a Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK collector; formerly in a Russian private collection, formed in the 1950s. Objects such as these were created by the Finno-Ugric peoples who inhabited the north-east of Russia during the Iron Age. The culture is notable for its metal sculptures from the Kama valley, dated to the first millennium BC, and on the basis of the zoomorphic motifs used on these sculptures all the artefacts in the collection are classified as Perm or Kama Animal Style. The pieces were created for use by shamans who acted as healers and wise men, and women, for the community. The iconography of the pieces relate to the spirit world that the shaman entered during ceremonies. [No Reserve]. Very fine condition.
Lot 2245
Old Akkadian, late 3rd millennium BC. A black agate cylinder seal with intaglio scenes of contest between a human hero (Gilgamesh), two figures with curved necks and horses' manes, two lamassus, amid bushes and foliage. 36 grams, 34mm (1 1/2"). Private collection, London, UK; formerly with Persepolis Gallery, Mayfair, London, UK; in the 1980s. It is widely believed that Gilgamesh was a historical king of the Sumerian city of Uruk some time during the Early Dynastic Period. By the Later Dynastic Period this figure had been transformed into a deity and was already being worshipped at a number of different places in Sumer. He was considered the patron deity of a number of kings and is described as 'divine brother' on a number of inscriptions. There are five independent narrative poems that date to the first half of the second millennium BC and which collectively relate the myths associated with the god. These are, 'Gilgamesh and Agga', which relates to the rebellion of Gilgamesh against his overlord and benefactor, King Agga of Kish. 'Gilgamesh and the Cedar Forest', relates how the hero and his friend Enkidu defeat and kill the monster Humbaba, who had been appointed by the god Enlil as guardian of the cedar forest. 'Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven', tells how the heroic duo defeat and kill a bull that had been sent by the goddess Ishtar after he had rejected her sexual advances. 'The Death of Gilgamesh' is poorly preserved, but seems to relate to the state funeral of Gilgamesh and his arrival in the underworld. In 'Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Nether World', Gilgamesh questions the spirit of Enkidu about conditions in the underworld. By the Old Babylonian Period these stories had been elaborated into one grand epic which survives in twelve fragmentary tablets, first discovered in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal at his capital of Nineveh. Such was the popularity of Gilgamesh that he is one of the most commonly depicted images on cylinder seals from across Mesopotamia. . Very fine condition. Very rare.
Lot 1686
15th century AD. A flat-section gold hoop with pelleted border and text 'AVE*MARIA*GRACIA' applied shoulders with flower and frond detailing, plaque with inset quartz cabochon. 5.69 grams, 23mm overall, 16.96mm internal diameter (approximate size British M 1/2, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.16, Japan 12) (1"). Ex Edwards collection, Nottingham, UK; formerly in a South German collection. The phrase 'Ave Maria Gracia' is based on the greeting of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary in the Gospel of Luke, Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Early theologians established a parallel between Christ’s Passion and the Virgin’s compassion: while he suffered physically on the cross, she was crucified in spirit. The Council of Ephesus in 431 AD sanctioned the cult of the Virgin as Mother of God; the dissemination of images of the Virgin and Child, which came to embody church doctrine, soon followed. The Virgin Mary, known as the Theotokos in Greek terminology, was central to Byzantine spirituality as one of its most important religious figures. As the mediator between suffering mankind and Christ and the protectress of Constantinople, she was widely venerated. The twelfth and thirteenth centuries saw an extraordinary growth of the cult of the Virgin in western Europe, in part inspired by the writings of theologians such as Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), who identified her as the bride of the Song of Songs in the Old Testament. The Virgin was worshipped as the Bride of Christ, Personification of the Church, Queen of Heaven, and Intercessor for the salvation of humankind. This movement found its grandest expression in the French cathedrals, which are often dedicated to “Our Lady,” and many cities, such as Siena, in Italy, placed themselves under her protection. . Very fine condition.
Lot 1893
1st millennium BC. A carved jadeite D-shaped panel with holes to the upper and lateral edges; to one face a facing mask with narrow eyes, broad nose, downturned mouth, flanked by arched lines. 86 grams, 75mm (3"). From the private collection of a German gentleman; acquired prior to 1999. The Olmecs were the first people in Mesoamerica to create a codified religious universe that we can recognise today through the surviving art. Olmec deities had features of the powerful animals of the tropical rain forests, with the principle deity being a were-jaguar, brought to life through the mating of a human female and a male jaguar. These deities display a mix of human and feline features and the most enduring of these were-jaguar deities is the Rain Baby, a deity whose tears were believed to bring the life giving rains. The mix of human and feline features could relate to the Shamanic practice of trance rituals where the practitioner was believed to enter the body of an animal, such as a jaguar, in order to communicate with the spirit world. The creation of luxury objects from jade required a material which didn't occur in the heart of Olmec culture. Therefore rulers dispatched parties to procure the stone, and over these jade routes the Olmec empire reached into what is now Honduras, as well as to Mexico city area and the Pacific Ocean. This way, the culture expanded through the Mesoamerica and create the base for later Maya culture, traceable in art style, rituals and ballgame. The facial expression with the narrow eyes and crescentic mouth resembles that of the Olmec jadeite mask displayed in the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York under accession number 1977.187.33. . Fine condition.
Lot 71
John Kingerlee (b.1936)Grid - Kilcatherine (2007) oil on board signed, titled & dated 2007 on reverse 25.40 x 61cm (10 x 24in) Provenance: Private Collection Picked for USA tour 'John Kingerlee' by former New York Times art critic William Zimmer which exhibited in sixteen cities across the US between 2007 and 2010. Grid Kilcatherine toured American museums for three years as part of a major John Kingerlee retrospective. The grid series represents the summation of this distinguished artist's career, appealing to major collectors and critics across the globe. The series began in 1996 following a trip to the ancient burial mound of Tara near the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. The experience gave Kingerlee a profound sense of ancient power and our ancestors' attempts to preserve an awareness of this within the landscape. Eventually the artist distilled these thoughts and feelings into an innovative group of landscape paintings that became known as the grids, in which he adapted the cellular web of the Cubists and applied it to timeless elemental settings. The grids have also been dubbed pneumas, from the ancient Greek word for breath or, when used in a religious context, spirit or soul. For the ancient Greek philosopher Anaximenes, pneuma was the primary substance from which all things are made. In the hands of the painter, oil pigment is the medium from which his subject must be brought to life, and Kingerlee's approach with his rows of dissolving 'plaques' stresses both repetition and coherence. His fundamental belief is that all things in the universe are linked, they are parts of an overriding unity, hence in a work such as the present one there is a strong sense of continuation into infinity: the breadth and depth of the composition are not limited by the confines of the picture frame. The multi-layered surfaces of the grids are themselves evocative of geological or archaeological strata, with the upper 'crust' hiding numerous earlier manifestations of the painting (some in bright primary colours), whilst at the same time respecting that evolution by allowing the textured build-up of pigment to push through the upper skin. The process of accumulation and reduction to which each grid is subjected is a metaphor for the processes of nature - birth, growth, germination, disintegration, and regeneration. The artist is acutely aware of these cycles, living as he has done on the exposed west coast of Ireland for over thirty-five years, observing the weathering effects of wind and the erosion of the coast by heavy seas. The light too changes constantly in this primordial setting, revealing and concealing, the very edge of the land intensifying one's awareness of it as the eye is drawn by the huge dome of the sky. In Kilcatherine Grid two rows of five plaques seem to hang suspended in pale blue space. Each one could be a landscape or seascape in its own right, some even evoke suggestions of faces through the smears of paint and the drier accretions of impasto. Dissolution and break-up are, however, held in check by a sense of order that is manifested in the artist's reliance on symmetry and balance. The spaces between the plaques form a row of four linked crosses, their edges blurred to a greater or lesser extent so as to suggest that this colour not only separates but also forms a background to the plaques, like stones projecting above the surface of the sea or clouds scattered across the sky - each element animated, of course, by pneuma. Jonathan Benington, October 2016
Lot 156
EPHEMERA GROUP. Including booklet containing scenes of old Burton-on-Trent & Brewery, plus The Spirit Traders & Licensed Victuallers Reducing Table (2) copies (whisky adverts). Plus Flowers Breweries Limited Wine & Spirit Price List Trade & Retail & mounted photograph of bar & barman (Kelly/ Perth Photographers). (5) NR
Lot 126
ISLE OF MULL (TOBERMORY/ LEDAIG)A single malt scotch whisky produced and bottled by Ledaig/ Tobermory distillery for The Shareholders of The Spirit of 1992 plc through some complicated and not very interesting scheme. 70cl. 56% abv. Label has a couple of very small marks but otherwise very good condition. Accompanied by an associated wooden box (lid not very well attached). Level mid-low neck.1 bottle
Lot 101
KILKERRAN FIRST CASK SET6 bottles. To mark the re-opening of the Kilkerran Distillery, the first six casks of the first spirit run were laid down to be bottled in 2014 when they reached 10 years of age. Each cask had each previously held different spirits/ fortified wines.The bottles (all 70cl, all 46% abv):OLOROSO WOOD; FINO WOOD; RUM WOOD; MADEIRA WOOD; PORT WOOD; BOURBON WOOD.In excellent condition; levels mid-neck.
Lot 160
VINTAGE TEQUILA AND DRAMBUIEA pair of bottles of vintage spirit/ liqueur. DRAMBUIE "PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD'S LIQUEUR". 23 2/3 Fl. Ozs. 70 Proof. Level mid-high shoulder. We estimate this bottle as being from the 1960's. Some damage to labels. JOSE CUERVO TEQUILA BLANCO. 26 Fl. Ozs. 66.5% abv. Again, we estimate this bottle as being from the 1960's. Level bottom neck/ top shoulder. Label stained. 2 bottles.
Lot 19
BARBANZOLO CORTESANO SOLERA 1915 BRANDY ANEJOA rare bottle of solera aged Spanish Brandy. No strength or capacity statements, but bottle approx. 1 litre. The Solera system of aging is an interesting process of fractional blending which is generally used to ensure consistant quality of product. We think this bottle is from the 1960's, with the original spirit being laid down in 1915. 1 bottle.
Lot 147
SMALL COLLECTION OF SILVER ITEMSincluding a set of six George V silver handled butter knives with case, period silver rimmed bowl and pair of pierced quaich style bowls, Sterling silver napkin ring and souvenir spoons, 'Cooper Ludlam' silver handled cutlery with cases, and a crystal decanter with stopper and silver spirit label
Lot 753
A GERMAN LIVE-STEAM STATIONARY STEAM PLANT the spirit-fired horizontal boiler fitted with a pressure gauge, weighted safety valve, whistle and detachable chimney, and linked to a dynamo with an electric light and an engine with a single cylinder and flywheel, all set to a green painted metal base, 23.5cm x 28cm.
Lot 342
*The Rare Kangra Earthquake Royal Red Cross awarded to Miss Alice Mabel Purkis, for instrumental work in aiding the wounded at the barracks of the Gurkha Rifles in Dharmsala, which had collapsed during the Kangra Earthquake on 4 April 1905 – this medal one of just 3 awarded. This deadly earthquake hit the Kangra Region in Northern India before dawn with a 7.8 surface wave magnitude tremor, destroying most of the buildings in the cities of Dharmsala and Kangra, and in the process killing more than 20,000 people , comprising: Royal Red Cross, E.VII.R., in gold and enamels, reverse engraved ‘A. M. Purkis / Dharmsala / April 1905’, on ladies’ bow with reverse brooch pin; with original blue velvet interior taken from original case of issue; toned, extremely fine and rare. Royal Red Cross, London Gazette 01.12.1905 – ‘in recognition of services rendered by them at Dharmsala after the earthquake which occurred on 4th April, 1905.’ Mrs Alice Mabel Lussman (née Purkis) was present in Dharmsala during the Kangra earthquake of 4 April 1905. This lot is offered with several pieces of original correspondence, one from H. D. Shaw, written on headed 2nd Battalion, 1st Gurkha Rifles headed paper, dated 26 April 1905: ‘Dear Miss Purkis, my Commanding Officer has instructed me to forward to you, as one of the ladies who were so instrumental in aiding and nursing the wounded during the recent earthquake, the enclosed copy of Divisional Orders dated 19th April 1905. Yours sincerely, H. D. Shaw.’ Contemporary photographs and histories record that the barracks of the 7th Gurkha Rifles was all but destroyed by the earthquake, and that 112 members of the Regiment were killed during the event, as well as some 1,625 civilian casualties in Dharmsala itself. As recorded in the London Gazette, Alice Mabel Purkis was present with two other ladies in assisting the wounded, and these were Mrs Isabel May Clay (wife of Major Charles H. Clay), and Mrs Violet Harriet Clay (wife of Captain Stanley Clay, who was killed) – which suggest that the above recipient was either a visiting friend, or perhaps even part of the household staff at ‘Woodside’ – a well-built single-storey private house of stone construction close by which was shielded from the worst of the earthquake’s effects owing to its position in the ‘earthquake shadows ’ in a small depression surrounded by other ridges. It would appear conclusive therefore, given the aforementioned letter and the research presented here, that these three ladies played a role in the immediate aftermath at the site of the Gurkha barrack building, having emerged from ‘Woodside’. A report from the Geological Survey of India at that time states that whilst rescuing his son, Major Clay was struck by a block of stone and partially buried under debris. It is most likely that his family members and Alice Mabel Purkis were also present during the chaos, and possibly assisted in freeing him. In this same collapse Charles Clay’s brother Stanley was killed instantly, and the ladies present set to work despite the terrible events, as recorded in The Times: ‘The ladies displayed throughout most marked heroism and bravery. Mrs Stanley Clay, though her husband had just been killed, instantly started nursing and looking after Captain and Mrs Wall, who were both seriously injured, and she has been unremitting in her labours ever since. Mrs C.H. Clay having had her husband injured and having been extricated with her small son from the ruins of her house, was the mainstay and prop of all dressing wounds, shaving cut heads, and nursing. Miss Purkiss [sic] also rendered invaluable aid to the wounded. All the other ladies who were not injured also showed the same heroic spirit.’ This lot is also offered with an official O.H.M.S. letter to the recipient (now Mrs Lussman, based at Sylhet) from the Office of the Inspector General of Police, Assam, confirming the above award.
Lot 147
LAWRENCE DURRELL, 6 titles: SPIRIT OF PLACE LETTERS AND ESSAYS ON TRAVEL, 1969, 1st edition; ANTROBUS COMPLETE, 1985, 1st collected edition, plus COLLECTED POEMS 1931-1974, 1980 revised edition, plus NUNQUAM, 1970, 1st edition, plus LIVIA OR BURIED ALIVE, 1978, 1st edition, plus CONSTANCE OR SOLITARY PRACTICES, 1982, 1st edition, plus FRANK L KERSNOWSKI (EDITED): INTO THE LABYRINTH ESSAYS IN THE ART OF LAWRENCE DURRELL, 1989, 1st edition, all original cloth, dust-wrappers (7)
Lot 80
A LATE 19TH/EARLY 20TH CENTURY MAPPIN AND WEBB COROMANDEL SYCAMORE LINED DECANTER/GAMES BOX, of rectangular form with double out fold sections, fitted with three spirit decanters and eight glasses, with double sliding compartment, with cards, dominoes and cribbage board, with gilt brass mounts and lockplate, double carrying handles, the hinge inscribed 'Mappin & Webb M Trustworthy', Reg No.71552, 35cm wide x 32cm deep x 26 cm high. See illustration
Lot 733
A George V silver wine funnel, Roberts & Belk, London 1926, typical Georgian form with removable strainer, 4½in. (11.5cm.) high; together with a silver mounted glass whisky-tot jug with star cut base and silver 'Whiskey' decanter label, Hukin & Heath, Birmingham 1904 & 1906, 4¼in. (10.75cm.) high; and a George V silver spirit flask, James Dixon & Sons, Sheffield 1923, weighable silver 10 tr.oz. (3)
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