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Lot 269
A 19th century ivory handled Kris The florally carved handle with a cabochon stone inset mount, the scabbard with a wooden collar above the embossed unmarked white metal scabbard. 48 cm long. CONDITION REPORTS: Some staining and splits to handle, brass mount loose, some cabochons lacking, wear and some rust damage to blade, some denting and small splits to scabbard, general wear.
Lot 214
SALVADOR DOMINGO FELIPE JACINTO DALI I DOMENECH, MARQUES DE DALI DE PUBLO, Known as SALVADOR DALI (1904-1989) Spanish MENORAH Limited edition gilt bronze, standing on a Jerusalem stone inscribed plinth base Signed and numbered 69/250 52 cm high CONDITION REPORTS: Generally in good condition, expected wear.
Lot 448
A Russian silver mounted, diamond and gem set green stone desk timepiece, with 84 Zolotnik hallmark and maker's mark of YaA The white enamelled dial with Roman numerals within a laurel border and spandrels within a ribbon tied reeded frame, with easel support. 10 cm wide. CONDITION REPORTS: Generally in good condition, expected wear, movement uninspected.
Lot 213
A collection of jewellery, a paste set peacock brooch, a marcasite set lizard brooch stamped 935, a silver horseshoe and sunflower brooch, two gold plated seals, one with intaglio carved initials, bar brooch, paste set cocktail watch, earscrews, marcasite and red stone brooch, large rectangular brooch with putti, (10).
Lot 736
1st-2nd century AD. A large bronze phalera with a male face, beard and hair flowing out to the edges. 5.66 grams, 90mm (3 1/2"). Fine condition. Property of a West Yorkshire lady; previously in the Brian Riley collection, Yorkshire, UK, 2007. The piece bears many similarities to the Gorgon head relief from the pediment of the temple to Sulis Minerva at Bath. A similar type head has also been discovered carved onto the pediment of a tomb stone from the legionary fortress at Chester, and now in the Grosvenor Museum.
Lot 1788
9th-11th century AD. A pendant comprising a natural rock crystal in a gold wire cage with coil closure, twisted wire hoop and wire suspension ring. 13 grams, 50mm (2"). Property of a European collector; acquired before 2000. Quartz was a popular stone in the Viking period, as attested by the so-called Visby lenses, which this pendant bears many similarities to. There have been a number of theories as to their use, such as lenses for magnifying or for starting fires, but they most probably had a magical function bringing protection to the wearer. Very fine condition.
Lot 117
1st millennium BC. A stone torso of a naked male with left arm held up and bent at the elbow; large shrine-shaped plaque at chest with circular pattern to the top, and necklace around neck; possibly the Phoenician god Melqart. 3.5 kg, 32cm (12 1/2"). The property of a German gentleman; acquired 1980s-early 1990s. Melqart, meaning King of the City, was the tutelary god of the Phoenician city of Tyre. Melqart was often titled Lord of Tyre, and considered to be the ancestor of the Tyrian royal family. The Greeks identified him with Heracles and referred to as the Tyrian Herakles. As Tyrian trade and colonisation expanded, Melqart became venerated in Phoenician and Punic cultures from Lebanon to Spain where he had an important shrine in Cadiz. His worship continued under the Romans. Fair condition.
Lot 704
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze statue of a naked male with cap of hair and beard, holding shepherd's crook over shoulder and pan pipes in left hand; right leg resting on a rock. 11.5 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). Very fine condition. Property of a European gentleman living in the UK; formerly in a private collection formed in the 1990s. In Roman mythology, Faustulus was the shepherd who found the infants Romulus and Remus, the future founders of Rome, who were being suckled by a she-wolf, known as Lupa, on the Palatine Hill. He, with his wife, Acca Larentia, raised the children. The name Faustulus was later claimed by a Roman family, one of whom minted a coin showing Faustulus with the twins and she-wolf. Sextus Pompeius Fostlus issued a silver denarius in about 140 BC that showed, on the reverse, the twins being suckled by a wolf with the shepherd Faustulus to their left. He was believed to have been killed by his relatives, while he was endeavouring to settle a dispute between them, and to have been buried in the Forum near the rostra, were a stone figure of a lion marked his tomb. This piece would have included the figure of the she wolf nursing the infant twins whilst Faustulus watches over them, and was possibly a tableau to decorate the atrium of a large villa where such pieces were intended to convey the cultured background of the owner.
Lot 327
Neolithic, 4th-3rd millennium BC. A large axe of slightly asymmetric form, of lentoid section tapering from the rounded butt, showing signs of use in firelighting, to a convex polished cutting edge with the sides polish blunted; in a pale grey flint. 535 grams, 16.5cm (6 1/2"). Very fine condition. Property of a gentleman; found Southwold, Suffolk, UK, 1980. See Evans, Sir John, The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain, London, 2nd edition, 1897, figure 43 for a similar piece, also from Suffolk.
Lot 1601
11th-12th century AD. A pair of carved stone stylised crouching lion statues each with rounded head and broad gaping mouth, raised D-shaped eyes, mane of longitudinal stripes and similar to the legs, scales to the body and rump, tail curled along the flank; Southern France or Spain. 213 kg total, 90-93cm (35 1/2 - 36 1/2"). Property of a London, UK, collection; acquired on the UK art market, 1970-1990. Fine condition; chip to head and rump of one lion; very rare. [2]
Lot 359
Neolithic, 5th-3rd millennium BC. A mixed group comprising: two knapped flint sickles, snapped at butt, with wear polish to cutting edges; one with serrated edge; with a fragment of a third; six leaf and triangular flint arrowheads; a slender triangular flint spearhead, sides notched for attachment; four flint blades and awls; a small polished stone round-butted axehead with convex cutting edge. 165 grams total, 2-10cm (3/4 - 4"). Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1990s. Fine condition. [16, No Reserve]
Lot 2353
1st millennium BC. A group of various items comprising: four bone triangular appliqués, each with three pierced attachment holes; six ceramic mounts, one side decorated with raised pellets; four ceramic circular mounts with ribbed border; three arrowhead-shaped ceramic mounts decorated with small pellets; one gilded bronze mount formed as a flower with whole to the centre; a ceramic circular mount with pelleted border and raised female head; a ceramic flower mount; a white glass (?"). miniature female figurine; a green stone leaf-shaped pendant with incised circular decoration and ribbed border, two attachment holes above; five bone(?"). flower mounts with central green pellet, two are fragments. 37 grams, 11-50mm (1/2 - 2"). The property of a German gentleman; acquired 1980s-early 1990s. Fine condition. [27, No Reserve]
Lot 306
2nd-3rd century AD. A round lead plaque with the figure of a goddess in the centre, horsemen to either side of her with cockerel and attendant figure; the sun, moon, candelabrum (menorah?"). and fish in the upper register, lower register with various animals. 49 grams, 65mm (2 1/2"). Property of a Surrey collector; acquired in the early 1970s. The Danubian Riders were associated with a mystery religion of the Getae and the Dacians, peoples of Thracian stock who lived in ancient Dacia (roughly equivalent to modern-day Romania). The cult of the Danubian Riders began to spread among Roman soldiers soon after 106 CE, when Dacia was conquered by Trajan and made a province of the Roman Empire. Traces of the cult have been found as far away as the Roman provinces of Gaul and Britain.The plaques are found in both stone and lead and depict two horsemen, a goddess with a fish, as well as prostrated characters, attendants, and various symbols, such as the sun, the moon, stars, and numerous animals (including the ram, dog, lion, eagle, peacock, raven, cock, snake, and sometimes even the bull). Scholarly identifications of the goddess are widely divergent. The two horsemen have been identified with the Dioscuri by some scholars and with the Cabiri brothers by others. The Greek iconography of the Dioscuri has had a particular impact on that of the Dacian Riders, though a local identity is more likely and that they developed from a earlier hero figure who is identified as Sabazios. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 2003
Circa 3000 BC. A stone cylinder seal with geometric design; 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 White Marble, 19 x 12 mm. The engraving consists of a pattern of four vertical bands each containing three eye shapes. This is a Jemdet Nasr seal, c. 3000 B.C., from Mesopotamia. It is in fine state of preservation. 3.97 grams, 18mm (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 539
12th-14th century AD. A rectangular stone base with a discoid pad to each corner of the upper face and a tiered central panel with running zizag band; to each outer face, panels of honeycomb, running zigzag and scrolled tendril ornament; panels of calligraphic text to the upper face. 113 kg, 47 x 67cm (18 1/2 x 26 1/2"). Fine condition. Property of a London, UK, collection; acquired on the UK art market, 1970-1990.
Lot 2317
2nd century BC-2nd century AD. The upper end of a rectangular oolitic limestone stele with stylised human face carved in the half-round, remains of blue and red pigmentation; lentoid sockets for separate inlaid eyes, keeled triangular nose, D-shaped bilinear ears. 4.2 kg, 24cm (9 1/2"). Private collection, Cambridgeshire, UK; acquired prior to 2000. South Arabian sculpture associated with palaces and domestic settings often reflects a strong Graeco-Roman influence. In contrast, ancestral images, funerary portraits and votive dedications exhibit a distinct style that is characteristically local. The flat surfaces to the rear of these stele suggest that they were installed against walls and were most likely memorial plaques in honour of the dead. Relief plaques such as these are known from the upland areas of the Marib, the ancient centre of the Sabaean Empire. This area contains numerous stone ruins dating from between the first millennium BC into the early first millennium AD, a period when the region was enriched by the burgeoning Roman demand for spices that linked South Arabia to Ethiopia and the cultures of the Indian Ocean in a complex trade network. Fine condition.
Lot 2305
3rd-2nd millennium BC. A group of carved stone cylinder seals comprising: a red stone with a winged quadruple beast facing the sun; a black stone with kneeling anthropomorphic figure holding an axe, fighting a lion with widely opened jaw; a black stone with cuneiform inscription, a central scene with vessel and plants or snakes, triangular decoration to the border; a dark grey stone with two figures, one standing and pointing to the dancing or running figure; a white stone with two lines, lower line with two figures hunting(?"). a quadruple animal, the upper side possibly depicting a domestic scene with two figures; a white stone with a chariot pulled by a pair of horses, behind it a standing figure with raised hand holding an axe(?), a fish behind him. 56.37 grams total, 26-38mm (1 - 1 1/2"). Property of a North West London gentleman; formerly with a central London gallery in 1990. Fine condition. [6]
Lot 2145
2nd century BC-2nd century AD. The top of a rectangular alabaster stele with stylised human face carved in the half-round with lentoid sockets for separate inlaid eyes, keeled triangular nose, trilinear ears, square chin; incised inscription below the chin. 7.9 kg, 28.5cm (11 1/4"). From an important English collection; acquired in the 1990s. South Arabian sculpture associated with palaces and domestic settings often reflects a strong Graeco-Roman influence. In contrast, ancestral images, funerary portraits and votive dedications exhibit a distinct style that is characteristically local. The flat surfaces to the rear of these stele suggest that they were installed against walls and were most likely memorial plaques in honour of the dead. Relief plaques such as these are known from the upland areas of the Marib, the ancient centre of the Sabaean Empire. This area contains numerous stone ruins dating from between the first millennium BC into the early first millennium AD, a period when the region was enriched by the burgeoning Roman demand for spices that linked southern Arabia to Ethiopia and the cultures of the Indian Ocean in a complex trade network. Fine condition.
Lot 1998
23rd century BC. A chalcedony cylinder seal with hero and animals; 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 Colourless, Translucent Stone, 21 x 12 mm. The design shows two lions on their hind legs with their bodies crossed, each attacking an animal with horns, though differentiated, on either side. To the far left stands a hero. This is an Akkadian seal, c. 2300-2200 B.C., from Mesopotamia or Western Iran, and is in good condition.' 4.81 grams, 21mm (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 339
Neolithic, 4th-2nd millennium BC. A ground and polished stone handaxe with narrow square butt and broad curved and chamfered cutting edge. 367 grams, 17cm (6 3/4"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 1802
9th-11th century AD. A silver sleeve with ropework borders to each face, flat-section loop above; inset small flint leaf-shaped blade. 1.65 grams, 30mm (1 1/4"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. See discussion of curated stone blades for magical and curative purposes in Evans, J. The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain, London, 1897, p.365. Fine condition.
Lot 2001
Circa 3000 BC. A marble cylinder seal with running animals; 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 White Marble, 18 x 15.5 mm. The design consists of a continuous row of two running horned animals, their bodies depicted by both gouging the stone and drilling it. The drilling through the centre has begun at the top and only reached about half way. This is a Jemdet Nasr seal, from Mesopotamia, dating to c. 3000 B.C. It is in good state of preservation.' 6.76 grams, 18mm (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 2354
1st millennium BC and later. A mixed group of items comprising: a ceramic stamp seal with a rampant lion; a ceramic domed lid with two holes for suspension; a stone carving of a lying naked woman; a hardstone carved oval stone with a resting lion; a small pendant with foliage decoration, suspension to the back; a stone tubular bead with incised figure; a silver appliqué with a geometric design; a bone heart-shaped appliqué pierced for suspension; a bone carved decoration of a seated figurine. 100 grams total, 9-72mm (1/2 - 2 3/4"). Property of a German gentleman; acquired 1980-1990. Fine condition. [9, No Reserve]
Lot 1644
12th-13th century AD. A mosaic wall panel made from reconstituted ancient Roman stone, rectangular border of lozenges framing a mosaic panel with reserved figure of a running wolf; Central or Southern Italy. 10.9 kg, 26 x 33cm (10 1/4 x 13"). Property of a gentleman; previously from a German collection formed in the early 1980s. Fine condition.
Lot 2363
1st millennium AD. A mixed group comprising: a cuboid limestone block with incised geometric ornament, central recess and lip; a squat stone container with flared rim; an albastron with lateral lugs; an alabaster mortar(?"). with hollow piriform handle. 1.1kg total, 4.3-10.8cm (1 3/4 - 4 1/4"). From an old German collection; acquired before 1990. Fair condition; block chipped; alabastron partly absent; neck of vessel broken. [4, No Reserve]
Lot 744
1st-2nd century AD. A hollow-formed bronze lamp formed as a porpoise, with arched back and ribbed tail; loop handle beneath the tail, filler hole to the abdomen and nozzle beneath the mouth; two lateral fins pierced for suspension. 163 grams, 13.5cm (5 1/4"). Fine condition. Extremely rare. Acquired on the London art market prior to 1980. See Bailey, D.M. A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum. IV. Lamps of Metal and Stone, London, 1988, item Q3591 for discussion.
Lot 340
Neolithic, 4th-2nd millennium BC. A ground and polished stone handaxe with square butt and broad curved and chamfered cutting edge. 275 grams, 16cm (6 1/4"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 282
2nd-4th century AD. A lead plaque with figures relating to the Danubian rider cult in three registers within an arched frame, coiled snakes to the upper corners; in the upper register Sol holding orb and wearing sun-burst crown in quadriga; below a standing figure of a goddess flanked by two male deities seated on horses, male figures to either side of these; in the lower register a group of figures including a soldier, three figures seated round a table with fish on top a couch, twins (possibly Castor and Pollux, known as the Dioscuri, meaning 'Divine Twins'), to the bottom a kantharos with snake, lion, cockerel and fish either side. 5.4 grams, 95mm (3 3/4"). Fine condition. Property of a West Yorkshire lady; from the private collection of John Moore, Brigantia Antiquities, York, UK; acquired by John Moore in the 1960s. The Danubian Riders were associated with a mystery religion of the Getae and the Dacians, peoples of Thracian stock who lived in ancient Dacia (roughly equivalent to modern-day Romania). The cult of the Danubian Riders began to spread among Roman soldiers soon after 106 CE, when Dacia was conquered by Trajan and made a province of the Roman Empire. Traces of the cult have been found as far away as the Roman provinces of Gaul and Britain.The plaques are found in both stone and lead and depict two horsemen, a goddess with a fish, as well as prostrated characters, attendants, and various symbols, such as the sun, the moon, stars, and numerous animals (including the ram, dog, lion, eagle, peacock, raven, cock, snake, and sometimes even the bull). Scholarly identifications of the goddess are widely divergent. The two horsemen have been identified with the Dioscuri by some scholars and with the Cabiri brothers by others. The Greek iconography of the Dioscuri has had a particular impact on that of the Dacian Riders, though a local identity is more likely and that they developed from a earlier hero figure who is identified as Sabazios.
Lot 1988
21st century BC. A marble cylinder seal with figures; 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 Pink Marble, 29.5 x 16.5 mm. On the right is a god seated on an angular throne, wearing a long flounced robe, a horned tiara, and holding up in one hand an overflowing vase. Facing him is a goddess in a long robe falling in creases. She raises one hand and with the other grips the wrist of a worshipper standing behind her. He raises one hand. A vertical fringe of his garment hangs down in front of him. This is a seal of the Ur III Dynasty, c. 2050-2000 B.C. It is large for the period and in an unusual stone.' 14.92 grams, 29mm (1 1/4"). 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. Rare.
Lot 2306
2nd millennium BC. A group of three stone cylinder seals consisting of one with a standing dragon before a sun burst plant motif; one with two figures holding bowls to their mouths, band of cuneiform between; one with a standing make before a dragon, standard between, facing dragon head behind. 11.37 grams total, 19-28mm (3/4 - 1 1/4"). Property of a London, UK collection; acquired UK art market, 1970-1990. Fair to fine condition. [3, No Reserve]
Lot 2348
3rd-2nd millennium BC. A stone figurine of a female with schematic facial features with indented eyes and long nose; hands cupped under breasts, wide hips and legs close together; engraved pubic triangle. 12 grams, 48mm (2"). From an old German collection; acquired before 1990. Fine condition.
Lot 1983
28th century BC. A hardstone cylinder seal with scorpion and geometric shapes; 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, 40 x 10 mm. The design is a continuous frieze of two bands of three items. The one consists of three eye shapes, the other of a simple cross above a scorpion above another cross, each band being vertical. This seal is from the so-called 'Brocade Style', c. 2800-2700 B.C., from the period known as Early Dynastic I, from Mesopotamia. It is in a good state of preservation.' 6.23 grams, 40mm (1 1/2"). 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 1851
8th-12th century AD. A silver ring with shank decorated with twisted rope pattern and beads at the shoulder; bezel with twisted rope around base and around opening, carnelian stone set within cross shaped recess; large beads of silver to the sides. 7.57 grams, 24.54mm overall, 22.73mm internal diameter (approximate ring size British Z+2, USA 13.5, Europe 68 3/4, Japan 27"). (1"). Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990. Fine condition. A large wearable size. [No Reserve]
Lot 2004
20th-19th century BC. A limestone cylinder seal with figures and animals; 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 Orange Stone, 22.5 x 13 mm. On the left is a standing figure of human form, raising one hand. Facing him is a dog on its haunches, with a straight object rising from its head. Behind the dog is a second figure standing, and apparently also raising one hand. As a terminal there is a heraldic eagle above scorpion. This is an early Old Babylonian seal, c. 2000-1800 B.C., from Mesopotamia.' 6.66 grams, 22mm (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 790
1st-4th century AD. A stone plaque with arched top and flat base; in the centre a wreath enclosing the image of Mithras wearing Phrygian cap, cloak billowing behind, kneeling on the back of a bull and plunging a dagger into its neck; to either side of Mithras' head the bust of Sol and Luna; to the left hand side of Mithras is Cautes holding a torch up, and to his right is Cautopates holding a torch down; below the bull a snake and scorpion, at the neck of the bull a dog; around the wreath a number of scenes relating to the myth of Mithras; traces of pigment. 6.24 kg, 25.5 x 30cm (9 3/4 x 12"). Property of a Finchley, London, UK gentleman; acquired from a sale in Denham, Oxfordshire, UK, in 2014. Cf. Clauss, M. The Roman Cult of Mithras: The God and his Mysteries, London, 2001. Mithras had his origins in ancient Persia and was adopted by the Romans who developed a mystery cult around him based on salvation and the revealing of secrets. The cult was only open to men and was extremely popular with soldiers, with the majority of his shrines being associated with military sites, such as along Hadrians Wall. Worshippers of Mithras had a complex system of seven grades of initiation through which the initiates moved. Initiates called themselves syndexioi, those united by the handshake which is based on the pact between Mithras and Sol. They met in underground temples, called Mithraea, which survive in large numbers; these were small buildings that imitated the cave in which Mithras slew the cosmic bull and where the members celebrated the rites of the god and shared a sacred communal meal. The majority of the information that we have about Mithraism comes from the reliefs, and other images, that have been found in the shrines. In every Mithraeum the centrepiece was a representation of Mithras killing a sacred cosmic bull, called the tauroctony, that was housed in a screen at the apse of the shrine; the tauroctony scene could also have other narrative images relating to the myth of the god. Mithras is shown wearing Persian clothes, such as a baggy tunic and trousers and wearing a Phrygian cap, and kneeling on the exhausted bull, holding it by the nostrils with his left hand, and stabbing it with his right. As he does so, he looks over his shoulder towards the figure of Sol. A dog and a snake reach up towards the blood that pours from the neck; a scorpion seizes the bull's genitals. A raven, the messenger of Sol, is flying around, or is sitting, on the bull. Three ears of wheat are seen coming out from the bull's tail, sometimes from the wound. The god is sitting on the bull in an unnatural way with his right leg constraining the bull's hoof and the left leg is bent and resting on the bull's back or flank. The two torch-bearers are on either side, dressed like Mithras, Cautes with his torch pointing up and Cautopates with his torch pointing down. The event takes place in a cavern, into which Mithras has carried the bull, after having hunted it, ridden it and overwhelmed its strength. Sometimes the cavern is surrounded by a circle, on which the twelve signs of the zodiac appear. Outside the cavern, top left, is Sol the sun, with his flaming crown, often driving a quadriga or depicted as a bust. A ray of light often reaches down to touch Mithras. At the top right is Luna, with her crescent moon, who may be depicted driving a biga, or again, as a bust. In some depictions, the central tauroctony is framed by a series of subsidiary scenes to the left, top and right, illustrating events in the Mithras narrative; Mithras being born from the rock, the water miracle, the hunting and riding of the bull, meeting Sol who kneels to him, shaking hands with Sol and sharing a meal with him, and ascending to the heavens in a chariot. The interpretation of the images is problematical due to the secrecy of the cult and the lack of literature relating to it. The slaying of the cosmic bull clearly has a beneficial role for mankind due to the life giving blood that is shed and the ears of corn that grow from the bull's tail. Some reliefs have been found with the paint surviving and show the inside of the cloak of Mithras decorated with stars, such as that from Marino, Italy . This, and the presence of the encircling zodiac signs, has been interpreted as relating to specific points in the year that were celebrated as key festivals and were depicted in a cryptic manner. Another theory is that the Mithraic mysteries began in the Graeco-Roman world as a religious response to the discovery by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus of the astronomical phenomenon of the precession of the equinoxes – a discovery that the entire cosmos was moving in a hitherto unknown way and interpreted as the existence of a powerful new god capable of shifting the cosmic spheres and thereby controlling the universe. Fine condition. Rare.
Lot 2002
Circa 3000 BC. A hardstone cylinder seal with water animals; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and typed and signed scholarly note issued by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder Seal of mixed White and Black Stone. The design shows three continuous rows of fish or other aquatic creatures. This is a Jemdet Nasr Seal, c. 3000 B.C., from Mesopotamia. It is in fine condition.' 2.57 grams, 12mm (1/2"). 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 1497
Mughal, 18th-19th century AD. The curved double-edged steel blade with central ridge, the hilt of pale green stone (jade?"). carved at the forte with scroll quillons and lotus flower, the pommel rendered in the form of a horse’s head. 419 grams, 39cm (11 1/2"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired before 1995. Fine condition.
Lot 331
Palaeolithic, 40,000-10,000 years BP. A bifacial triangular quartzite handaxe of biconvex profile with retouched edges; in a rich orange-brown chert. 208 grams, 10cm (4"). Private collection, Cambridgeshire, UK; acquired prior to 2000. Cf. Evans, J. The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain, London, 1897, items 38a, 41. Very fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 1276
Early 20th century AD. A large and elaborate silver-gilt pendant and chain comprising: a crown with stone-set cross, teardrop panel with filigree and inset faceted red and blue stones; hinged attachment to a silver-gilt cruciform plaque with filigree and granule trefoils set with stones above and below and sets of stones flanking; central enamelled crucifixion scene with stones to the border; small pendant plaque below with scrolled filigree and inset stone; silver-gilt chain with two clip attachments to the crown; supplied in a modern custom-made velvet-lined case. 207 grams, 78.5cm overall, chain: 122cm (48"). From an old Munich collection; acquired on the German art market before 2000. Fine condition.
Lot 2158
3rd millennium BC. A stone idol, flat in section, with square body and two large lentoid eyes above. 18.88 grams, 56mm (2 1/4"). From an old British private collection; formed between 1975 and 1985. Today the remains of Tell Brak covers a massive forty-hectare area. It was first excavated by Max Mallowan in 1937-1938 when he found the remains of early religious practices represented by hundreds of votive objects, including the so-called 'eye idols'. Tell Brak must be considered as one of the oldest cultural sites in the world it was still in use during the Mitannian empire [1,500 - 1,360 BC]. During the Hellenistic and Roman eras, the site lay silent. Tell Brak was known as Nagar in Antiquity. Although they date from roughly 3200 BC, eye idols look remarkably modern. Simple and abstract, they represent the human form with a flat trapezoidal body and oversized eyes. Hundreds of these figurines were found in a monumental building known as the 'Eye Temple' in Tell Brak, north-eastern Syria. The idols vary in size from about 3 to 6 cm in height, and are made of either white or black alabaster. Because of the huge numbers of idols found, the monumental building where they were found has been called the 'Eye Temple.' The interior decoration was lavish - the altar was decorated with a frieze made from colourful stones, silver nails and gold foil, and on the floor and walls were mosaics made from coloured clay cones. Eye imagery and designs are found in the frieze and carvings in the temple, suggesting that the eye was a powerful magical and religious symbol. The large number of eye idols found and their size suggests that they were left in the temple as votives (gifts to the gods), perhaps representing the people who dedicated them as offerings. The decoration of the idols varied, and it seems that they may have been personalised; those on display in the Fitzwilliam are examples of the simplest type, but others have carved lines and zig-zags on their bodies depicting clothes. There are even examples of group idols representing more than one figure - some of which have a smaller 'child' figure carved onto the front. Eye Idol from Tell Brak (WAE.5.1966"). Although Tell Brak is in north-eastern Syria, both the decoration and plan of the Eye Temple resemble that of south Mesopotamian temples, such as those in Uruk and Eridu. Eye symbolism was also popular in Mesopotamia around this time, and eye designs have been found on objects from the Royal Cemetery from Ur as well as in temples. The eye idols of Tell Brak, however, are completely unique and have no parallels, in either Syria or Mesopotamia. For more information: D. Collon, Ancient Near Eastern Art (London, 1995), 47, fig. 26. M.E.L. Mallowan, Excavations at Tell Brak, Iraq 9 (1947), 32-8; 150-9; 198-210. Fine condition, repaired.
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