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Lot 577
An antique Tibetan unmarked silver cupThe flared bowl with engraved and repousse scrolling foliate decorations above the cabochon stone mounted stepped spreading columnar base. 29 cm high. CONDITION REPORTS: Some misshaping, some dents, scuffing and scratching, some small holes, general wear.
Lot 185
Two 9 carat yellow and white gold gemset pendants, an oval pendant claw set with a marquise cut amethyst to centre and surrounded by aqua coloured marquise cut stones and small pink brilliant cut stones, overall 20mm x 15mm, a pear shaped pendant set with an aqua coloured pear shaped stone 15mm. (2)
Lot 339
9th century AD. A flat-section penannular gold hoop with low-relief braid detailing, openwork trumpet bezel with inset keeled garnet cabochon. Cf. Oman, C.C. Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Rings, reprinted Ipswich, 1993, item 240. 6.15 grams, 31mm overall, 18.34mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.59, Japan 17) (1 1/4"). From a European collection; formerly in an old Oriental collection; acquired 1960. The stone was examined in detail by Dr. Bonewitz who observed: 'The garnet has a slight cloudiness that adds a slight opacity, which enriches the already good colour. A very rich and desirable stone.' Fine condition.
Lot 35
Late Period, 664-332 BC. A limestone square offering table with slightly chamfered edges, the lower part roughly carved; the top carved with four panels, the upper two with representations of offerings, the lower with two recessed panels for food offerings either side of a long channel which projects slightly for liquid offerings. 8.16 kg, 30 x 33cm (12 x 13"). Property of a Jerusalem gentleman; inherited from his father who acquired them in the 1970s. Offerings of food were basic to the continued existence of the gods and the dead alike. They were often presented to them on special tables. In the homes these might stand in niches in a room used as a domestic shrine, in temples in rooms dedicated to offerings and in tombs below ground if there was an accessible chapel, otherwise it was placed on the ground on top of the grave or in specially built funerary chapels. During the Old Kingdom food offerings were presented to the deceased lucky enough to have a substantial tomb on stone platters or offering tables in front of their funerary stele or false door, but for most the offerings were probably, a loaf of bread and a cup of beer placed on top of a mat. The stone offering tables of the wealthy imitated these simple reed mats and were decorated with food stuffs and inscribed with the offering prayers, which would nourish the deceased through their magic, if real foodstuffs were not provided. In depictions the offering tables are laden with a great variety of exquisite foodstuffs, and quite possibly that was the quality and quantity of offerings customary among the rich. The offering table was often placed in front of the false door in the funerary chapel, through which the soul of the deceased person was believed to pass so that they could partake of the offerings. In the Middle Kingdom offering tables fell out of fashion in favour of models of food, along with models of servants and buildings that were required by the deceased, and which were believed to magically come to life in the next world. Fair condition.
Lot 36
Pre-Dynastic Period, 3rd millennium BC. A finely carved flat stone palette in a form of a blade with a circular attachment loop. 38 grams, 11.9cm (4 3/4"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired from a major Mayfair gallery; acquired on the London art market before 2000. Very fine condition.
Lot 39
Late Period, 664-332 BC. A carved stone head of a ram with tripartite wig, horns curving round ears, finely detailed eyes and small false beard below the mouth; socket to the top of the head for attachment of separate crown. 829 grams, 11cm (4 1/4"). Property of a Jerusalem gentleman; inherited from his father who acquired them in the 1970s; accompanied by a copy of the Israel export licence. Amun was the state god of Egypt from the early New Kingdom until his popularity declined during the Late Period, and had his chief shrine at the enormous temple complex of Karnak in southern Egypt. He was seen as the creator god, but also the power behind the throne and the symbolic father of each Pharaoh. His name means 'The Hidden' and he was believed to move through the cosmos as a divine wind that brought peace and order. He could take on a number of forms such as a human, a goose or a ram. The ram was associated with fertility, one of the functions of the god bringing fertility to the earth, and he is represented as such in the ram headed sphinxes that lined the processional route from Karnak to Luxor temples. Despite his decline as a state god of Egypt in the Late Period he continued to be worshipped in the Ptolemaic and Roman periods as a manifestation of Zeus and Jupiter, and being depicted as a bearded Classical god but with rams' horns curving round his ears. His main shrine during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods was at the Siwah Oasis in the Western desert, where he was worshipped in the form of a ram and which was famed for its oracular powers. It was here that Alexander the Great was proclaimed to be the son of Amon (and therefore Zeus) and was destined to conquer the world. Fine condition, repaired.
Lot 41
Early Dynastic Period, 3rd millennium BC. A silaceous conglomerate stone macehead pierced through the middle for attaching to haft. 204 grams, 55mm (2 1/4"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired from a major Mayfair gallery; acquired on the London art market before 2000. Very fine condition.
Lot 463
13th-16th century AD. A round-section gold hoop with braided shoulders, teardrop bezel with inset nicolo stone. 5.38 grams, 23mm overall, 18.09mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 3/4, Europe 16.55, Japan 16) (1"). Property of a gentleman; acquired in the late 1960s-early 1970s. Very fine condition.
Lot 486
16th century AD. A D-section gold hoop with scroll detailing to the shoulders, raised openwork panels with granules and traces of white enamel, square-section pyramidal bezel with scalloped collet, convex underside with incised saltire, inset natural pyramidal diamond. Cf. Oman, C.C. British Rings 800-1914 London, 1974, plate 26(D"). 7.17 grams, 27mm overall, 17.64mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7 1/4, Europe 15.0, Japan 14) (1"). Ex private UK collection; acquired in Belgium in the 1980s. Accompanied by a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. Considerable evidence exists concerning the making and wearing of rings in the Renaissance. Their appearance in painted portraits confirms that they continued to be worn on multiple fingers, suspended from chains and ribbons, sewn onto sleeves or hats, and so forth. When not worn they were sometimes stored on parchment rolls or in neatly compartmentalised boxes, known from documents and paintings. In the Renaissance, the medieval practice of using uncut stones was abandoned in favour of faceting; table-cut facets were among the earliest and most popular, but other cuts rapidly followed. Making rings that would show off best the qualities of the stone became a skill that exercised the virtuosity of cutters, chasers, engravers, enamellers, and goldsmiths sometimes in collaboration. The highly sculpturesque quality of most Renaissance rings can be compared with the striving for greater veracity that characterises the monumental arts of this period. Precious stones were acquired almost exclusively from long-distance trade. Among the most frequently used stones, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, turquoises, and diamonds came mainly from the East: rubies were brought from India and Ceylon, sapphires from Ceylon, Arabia, and Persia, emeralds from Egypt, turquoises from Persia and Tibet, and diamonds from India and Central Africa. Dr Bonewitz notes that this stone has had its natural octahedral faces polished, and is of very high quality. [A video of this lot is available on the TimeLine Auctions website] Very fine condition.
Lot 494
17th century AD. A D-section slender gold hoop with ribbed shoulders and white enamel ground, square bezel with white enamel detailing to the faces and underside, chamfered upper face with inset spinel cloison. Cf. Oman, C.C. Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Rings, reprinted Ipswich, 1993, item 396. 2.70 grams, 23mm overall, 17.28mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.0, Japan 13) (1"). Property of a Birmingham, UK, collector; acquired as part of an old jewellery collection. Dr Bonewitz notes: 'At the time this ring was made, this stone was undoubtedly thought to be a ruby. No clear distinction was made between spinel and ruby until the 18th century.' Fine condition.
Lot 523
18th-19th century AD. A stone head of a youthful god Bacchus (Dionysus) with finely modelled facial features, curly hair with wine grapes and leaves. 6.6 kg, 27cm (10 1/2"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired from a major Mayfair gallery; acquired on the London art market before 2000. Fine condition, chipped.
Lot 543
23rd century BC. A limestone cylinder seal with lions and quadrupeds; accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder Seal of Fawn Stone, 17 x 10.5 mm. The design shows two crossed lions in the middle, each attacking a domestic horned animal on the outside of the scene. There is a simple linear device as a terminal. This is an Akkadian seal, c. 2300-2200 B.C., from Mesopotamia or an adjacent area. It is in [sic] good state of preservation.' 2.82 grams, 17mm (3/4"). Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. Fine condition.
Lot 557
5th century BC. A red speckled stone cylinder seal with frieze of a squatting female figure facing to the front and holding a pair of long horned cattle by the tips of the horns; below a running frieze of geometric pattern; between the cattle a vase with water and plants coming from the top. 15 grams, 30mm (1 1/4"). From the collection of a North West London gentleman; acquired in the 1980s. Very fine condition. A beautiful example.
Lot 567
21st century BC. A serpentine cylinder seal with contest scene; accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder Seal of Brown/Fawn Stone, 26 x 12 mm. The design shows two nude heroes, standing and grappling with a reared-up lion between them. As a terminal there is a slender tree. This seal dates to c. 2100-2000 B.C. and comes from the period of the Third Dynasty of Ur.' 7.17 grams, 26mm (1"). Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. Fine condition.
Lot 571
19th-16th century BC. A mottled red stone cylinder seal with three lines of cuneiform, standing goddess in long robes and horned crown, lunar crescent on a stand, accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and unsigned by W. G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'The design shows a three-line inscription in Sumerian cuneiform and to the right a standing Lamma goddess in horned tiara and long flounced robe, to the left a lunar crescent on a tall stand. The inscription names a god with epithets: Lugal-Kis'a, great lord of Kisa'a.........his father. This is a Babylonian seal, c. 2000-1600 BC. The inscription seems to be unique, and the last line is obscure so far, being in a learned kind of Sumerian. The seal is generally in good condition, but the bottom is chipped and the Lamma has a hole in the middle. The god named is already known, but little known.' 18 grams, 33mm (1 1/4"). From an important private London collection; formed in the 1970s and 1980s. Fine condition, chipped.
Lot 655
3rd millennium BC. A group of three stone vessels with rectangular base rounded to one side, a domed body with triangular, quatrefoil and tongue-shaped inlay decoration. 232 grams total, 59-61mm (2 1/4"). From an important London, W1, collection; acquired 1960-1980s. [3] Very fine condition.
Lot 684
Tang Dynasty, 618-906 AD. A pair of large ceramic figures of foreign grooms with pigment, one facing left, the other facing right; both in belted tunics with large lapels, and wearing trousers with boots; both with beards and wearing caps, the right facing groom similar to a Persian cap; both with arms bent and fists clenched; left facing figure with some restoration. 23.1 kg total, 73-76cm (28 3/4 - 30"). Acquired on the London art market prior to 1980. Supplied with a copy of the item's Thermoluminescence test result, undertaken by Oxford Authentication, certificate number C115f61. Known as mingqi, meaning Spirit utensils, these figures first became popular in the Han dynasty. Tang mingqi integrated the guardian figures and pack animals of the earlier Northern and Southern Dynasties, but also incorporated the many international influences that were popular during this time of stability and expansion. As in the Han dynasty, Tang mingqi frequently take the form of musicians, dancers, and servants in clay, but are ornamented with sancai (three-colour) glaze, an artistic influence that was transmitted from Central Asia along the Silk Road. Foreigners were also frequently depicted, reflecting a cosmopolitan society that embraced exchanges with other groups and cultures. As in the Han dynasty, Tang mingqi were part of a complex tomb program, often with stone statuary lining a spirit road. However, their function was firmly rooted in consolidating power in the earthly world. Important funerals were sponsored by the state and were a way for the imperial government to strengthen ties with influential Chinese families and even solidify loyalty with foreign emissaries and the governments they represented. As in the Han dynasty, Tang mingqi and the larger program of funerary practices reflected ties among the living. Mingqi worked in concert with other tomb objects and architecture to support a larger funerary agenda, the goal of which was to comfort and satisfy the deceased, who was believed to have two souls: the po, which resided underground with the body, and the hun. While the hun could ascend to the skies, funerary rituals sometimes sought to reunite it with the po in the safer realm of the tomb. Here, valuables such as bronzes, lacquers, and silks, frequently decorated with Daoist imagery, surrounded the coffin. Funerary objects such as mingqi worked in concert with other funerary objects, tomb architecture, shrines, and spirit-road sculptures to achieve a goal that exceeded the well-being of the family. According to Confucian doctrine, when every person performed their prescribed social role to perfection, the cosmos would achieve harmony. By ensuring the well-being of the dead, the living promoted accord in the celestial realm and in their own terrestrial existence. Finely modelled.
Lot 733
Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 AD. A carved stone frieze fragment depicting a seated official in cap and robe on an elevated seat, staff in his right hand, kneeling figure to the left in loose robe beneath an outcrop, second standing figure to the right; robed dancer with fans to the reverse. 52.6 kg, 56cm (22"). From the Cheuk family collection; formed before 1970. Fine condition.
Lot 749
Pala Empire, 8th-12th century AD. An upper part of a dark brown stone panel with a high-relief carving of a torso of goddess Lakshmi, wearing a loose fabric over one shoulder with one breast uncovered, adorned with large earrings, necklace, arm ring and headdress; surrounded with two elephants to the top, each holding a jar pouring water. 138 grams, 73mm (3"). From an important London, W1, collection; acquired 1960-1980s. Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity and the wife of Vishnu, one of the most important gods in Hinduism. According to one myth about the creation of universe, Lakshmi springs up, together with other precious things, from the milk ocean, when it is churned by gods and demons. In iconography, she is either sitting or standing on a lotus, and typically carrying a lotus in one or two hands. Below, behind or on the sides, Lakshmi is sometimes shown with one or two elephants and occasionally with an owl. Elephants symbolise work, activity and strength, as well as water, rain and fertility for abundant prosperity. A specific depiction of Lakshmi with two elephants is referred to as Gajalakshmi. In this aspect, she is usually standing or seated on a lotus, flanked on both side by an elephant (gaja"). These elephants may represent two of the eight elephants who are believed to hold up the sky from the eight corners of the cosmos. They are called 'dig-gajas' and are usually one male and one female. According to one myth, they came to Lakshmi after she emerged from the ocean, and sprayed water on her. This act depicted the divine acknowledgement of Lakshmi's powers and capacity to make the world rich and vibrant. The earliest available depiction of Gajalakshmi appears on a coin from 3rd century AD from Kausambi. Fine condition, repaired.
Lot 756
9th-10th century AD. A carved stone statuette of a phallus on a flat circular base, an old label to the underside 'Siva-Lingam, Rajastan, India. 8-10th cent.'. 688 grams, 12.6cm (5"). From an important London, W1, collection; acquired 1960-1980s. The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity, Shiva, used for worship in temples, smaller shrines, or as self-manifested natural objects. In traditional Hinduism, the Lingam is seen as a symbol of the energy and potential of Shiva himself. The Sanskrit term, Li?ga?, has a number of definitions ranging from symbol to phallus, and more specifically, the genital organ of Shiva worshipped in the form of a Phallus. The worship of Lingam can be tracked back to the second century BC, with the oldest example of a Lingam still used for worship is in Gudimallam. Very fine condition.
Lot 777
Post-Classic Period, mid 10th-early 16th century AD. A large carved jadeite head of a spider money with large circular eyes, wide flat nose and slightly opened mouth, pierced for suspension. Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. 94 grams, 45mm (1 3/4"). From an important London, W1, collection; acquired 1960-1980s. In Maya mythology, monkeys were patrons of arts and writers. We may presume this due to their depiction on vases during the Classic Period, and from the later written source Popol Vuh. This tells us that there were twin brothers, Hun Batz and Hun Chouen, both skilled in music and art. After a struggle with their brothers, the famous hero twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque, they were transformed into monkeys; Hun Batz becoming the howler monkey and Hun Chouen the spider monkey. These monkey twins occur widely in Classic Maya art as the patron gods of writing, art and mathematics where they are sometimes rendered as actual monkeys, or as humans with monkey attributes. Another story from the same source tells us that after one of the unsuccessful creations of humankind, people made of wood survived the destruction and became monkeys. In Classic art, the spider monkey frequently personifies licentiousness and sexual abandon. The presence of great numbers of monkey figures in the art of Classic Veracruz may reflect a similar association with the monkey and sexual license. This carving was most likely used as an applique for a larger adornment. Dr Bonewitz notes: 'This is classic jadeite from Mesoamerica. Its source was only discovered in the late 1970s. The other stone known as jade is nephrite, which is unknown in Mesoamerica'. [A video of this lot is available on the TimeLine Auctions website] Very fine condition.
Lot 780
8th-5th century BC. A large green serpentine standing anthropomorphic figurine, with elongated bald head and cranial deformation, rectangular eyes, wide nose, slightly opened mouth with massive everted upper lip uncovering teeth, pierced rectangular ears; the knees bent and hands pierced to hold an offering(?"). See Fowler Museum at UCLA, Accession number X85.864; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Accession number: 1990.219. 964 grams, 20.6cm (8"). From an important London, W1, collection; acquired 1960-1980s. The Olmecs established major centres along the riverine lowlands of the modern Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco, from approximately 1500 BC. The fertile gulf plain probably allowed for an agricultural surplus, controlled by only a handful of individuals. Olmec culture is identified as the oldest of the Mesoamerican civilisations, and many important elements of Mesoamerican art and architecture can be seen to have had a probable Olmec origin. This figure is very similar to one from Offering Four at La Venta. This comprised of a group of fifteen jade and serpentine figures that were specifically set out so that the one figure made from the base stone of granite faced the group made from precious stones. It is possible that the scene recreates a judgement against the lone figure, or possibly a sacrifice scene. Other individual, sinewy jades which are almost feline in their posture have been found in the Olmec heartland. Very fine condition.
Lot 792
18th-early 19th century AD. A silver openwork ring with wide shoulders decorated with plant motif; ribbed bezel set with a sapphire showing faint star, stone approx. 2 1/2 carats. 8.38 grams, 23.07mm overall, 19.50 internal diameter (approximate ring size British T, USA 9 1/2, Europe 21.26, Japan 20) (3/4"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired before 1995. [No Reserve] Very fine condition.
Lot 1776
1st-20th century AD. A group of mixed items comprising: a large lead button; a silver Russian Orthodox cross; a bronze fitting in the form of a running dog; a Roman bronze ring with clasped hands to the bezel; a Japanese netsuke carved from a nut with the figure of three scholars; a silver ring with palmette shoulders and set with a oval black onyx stone; a silver ring set with a miniature blue glass cameo of a female. 83 grams total, 18-73mm (3/4 - 2 3/4"). Acquired on the German art market in the 1990s. [7, No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 200
1st-3rd century AD. A gold ring with a tapering shank and oval bezel set with a chalcedony intaglio engraved with the image of Victory (Nike) standing and holding a spear, wings outspread to the back. 3.22 grams, 20.78mm overall, 21.19mm internal diameter (approximate size British X, USA 11 3/4, Europe 26.29, Japan) (3/4"). From an important English collection; acquired in the 1990s. The stone was examined in detail by Dr. Bonewitz who observed: 'The chalcedony has a slightly brownish cast, and takes some of its colour from the gold backing. The carving is of a good standard.' Very fine condition. A large wearable size.
Lot 2033
Middle Palaeolithic, 300,000-30,000 years BP. A knapped flint rectangular blade with pencilled notation '1872', old adhesive label 'Baker's Hole / 1096' and collector's label '500'. 186 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). Ex Dr M. G. Weller collection, Cornwall, UK; formerly with Henry Dewey (British Geological Survey) collection; found Baker's Hole, Northfleet, Kent, UK, 1872. Baker's Hole is a former quarry at Northfleet, Kent, England. It is known for large Levallois cores and flakes, representing the discarded remains of production on a large scale of stone handaxe tools, probably by Neanderthals. Fine condition.
Lot 2043
Mesolithic - Neolithic, 30th-3rd millennium BC. A mixed group of stone tools comprising: a chert burin point, old label marked '203'; a chert burin point, old label marked '224'; a chert burin point, old label marked '223'; a chert knife, ex D. Pinar collection, old label marked '203'; a chert burin point, found Pinar near Granada, old label marked '201'. 145 grams total, 8-11cm (3 1/4 - 4 1/4"). Ex Dr M. G. Weller collection, Cornwall, UK; formerly with various collections; found Pinar near Granada, Spain. [5, No Reserve] Fine condition.
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