EX Dr. Gilles collection, Germany, acquired prior to
1970.
For a medical box from the House of the Surgeon at
Pompeii, see p. 218 in Coarelli, ed., Pompeii
(Christie's note).
For the ligula probes cf. Dörig, J., ART
ANTIQUE: Collection Privées de Suisse Romande (Editions
Archéologiques de l'Université de Genève,
1975), 366, no. 1.
Also see Bliquez, L., The Tools
of Asclepius: Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman
Times, no. 83.
See a complete box here
with an identical box-lid with "concentric rectangles"
sold by Christie's for $17,500
A ROMAN IMPERIAL AFRICAN RED SLIP (ARS) WARE
TABLE-AMPHORA, A.D. 3rd Century, Roman Tunisia
(greater Carthage), also known as an amphoriskos or
amphoroid flagon, with twin vertical “ear” handles and
a funnel-shaped neck, grooved and beveled at rim.
Flattened base and perfectly free-standing. Ht.
18.5cm. (7.28 in.). As Salomonson XIV (on pl. II in
J.W. Salomonson, Études sur la céramique romaine
d’Afrique (in BABESCH 43,
1968, 80ff), formerly classified as ARS A/C or El
Aouja Ware, which is now ARS C1/C2, produced in the
3rd century. The equivalent to Salomonson XIV is
Hayes, Late Roman Pottery, form 165. This type
is also illustrated in the Atlante delle
forme ceramiche (1981) on pl. XXXI, 16. J.P.
Moore, The Pottery from the ‘Pagan’ Sector of the
East Cemetery (Sites 302 and 304), in: N. Ben
Lazreg, L.M. Stirling, and J.P. Moore (eds.), Leptiminus
(Lamta), Report No. 4. The East Cemetery:
Stratigraphy, Ceramics, Non-Ceramic Finds and
Bio-Archaeological Studies, Journal of Roman
Archaeology Suppl. 110 (Portsmouth 2021), Fig.
5.58. Excellent condition. An uncommon form,
and RARE in this state. Ref#
V1638 $275
This lot previously sold here
for $690 w/ BP against an estimate of $700 - $800.
See similar here
at $1,600 !
The high-quality North African red slip ware, a
fineware used as tableware, was also exported to
Sicily, Italy, and the western provinces.
"NET-PAINTED" AMPHORISKOS,
Proto-Canaanite, c. 32nd/earlier 31st Century B.C. Early
Bronze Age (EBA) I, Kenyon Proto-Urban B, Central Hill
Area. Flattened base; free-standing. Red on cream.
Diagonal "Net" pattern with vertical partitions. Twin
lug-handles. See Stager, L.E.,
Painted
Pottery
and
Its
Relationship
to
the
Weaving
Crafts in Canaan During the Early Bronze Age
I (in Eretz-Israel:
Archaeological, Historical and Geographical Studies,
Vol. XXI, Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem, 1990),
p. 84, fig. R
(Jerusalem, Ophel Tomb 3); Hugues
Vincent,
Underground Jerusalem: Discoveries on the
Hill of Ophel, pl. IX, 2. G. Wright, G.E.,
The
Archaeology of Palestine from the Neolithic through
the Middle Bronze Age, Journal
of the American Oriental Society Vol. 91, No.
2 (1971),
p. 280
. Hanbury-Tenison,
J.W.
The Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze I
Transition in Palestine and Transjordan, p.126.
11.0cm. ht. (4 in.), 10.0cm. dia. Intact, some
earthen deposits. Ref.# V1041
$750
(aka "Line-Painted" = LPG = Line-Painted Group = LPGW
= Line-Painted Group Ware, "band-painted,"
"line-group
painted,"
or
"Proto. Urban B" ware)
Proto-Urban B,
denoted by painted pottery, occurs chiefly in and
near the Judaean hill country.
EX Baidun Family Collection, Jerusalem.
Identical
to Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Accession number
74.19.52
THREE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE POTTERY PIRIFORM
PITCHERS from
Megiddo.
All intact with stands included.
Heights are for the pitchers only (excluding stand).
(All stand perfectly upright on their stands, a
fact not apparent in the photos!)
EX Khader M. Baidun & Sons, Jerusalem >
private New York collection.
A. MBA III. First-half of the 17th Century B.C. Dark
grey, button base, burnished. Cf. Shipton, Notes on
Megiddo Pottery, p. 22, §73 and chart (Str. XI). 15.5
cm. (6.1 in.) Ref.# V1006
$275
B. MBA IIB. 18th Century B.C. Reddish brown, bifurcated
handle, pointed base, burnished. Cf. Shipton, Notes on
Megiddo Pottery, pl. 8, 10 (Str. XII) and pl. 9, 10
(Str. XIII). 16.5 cm. (6.5 in.) Ref.# V1007
$650
C. MBA III. First-half of the 17th Century B.C.
Pinkish-grey, bifurcated handle, nipple base. Cf.
Shipton, Notes on Megiddo Pottery, p. 22, §73 and chart
(Str. XI). 16.0 cm. (6.3 in.) Ref.# V1008
$225
Or the three for $975
A
PHILISTINE CERAMIC SPOUTED STRAINER PITCHER
from
Megiddo, Iron Age I, Stratum VIa, 11th
Century B.C. So-called “Beer-Strainer” from the last
phase of Philistine pottery at Megiddo, bichrome black
and red on salmon, decorated with three registers of
stylized fish with crosshatched bodies, a “maltese”
cross-element above the strainer, and metopes of solid,
wide and narrow bands. 24.5cm. ht. (9.65 in.). For this
Philistine type of pottery form, designated as
“beer-jugs,” see Amiran, R.,
Ancient Pottery of the
Holy Land: From Its Beginnings in the Neolithic Period
to the End of the Iron Age: Philistine Pottery, p.
266,
(a) Form, (2) Local Canaanite character,
“beer-jugs,” and p. 267, Photos 272-274;
Skupinska-Løvset, I.,
The Ustinov Collection: The
Palestinian Pottery (Universitetsforlaget, Oslo,
1976),
Spouted Jugs, p. 90, Fig. 6d, pl. XXIII,
UP 173 = Rockefeller Museum, no. 182 (undecorated, and
most of spout and neck missing); Dothan, T. and M.,
People
of the Sea: The Search for the Philistines, p. 33
(neck missing), p. 53, fig. (rim missing), p. 67, photo,
middle (broken off at neck and handle), and p. 103; also
see pl. 5:
Assemblage of Philistine Bichrome
Pottery. Overall scattered surface encrustation.
Upper corner of spout tip reattached and a small chip
reattached in rim, some scattered surface erosion; good
mineral deposits.
Already rare, and very
rare as a complete example.
Ref# V1576
$495
A nearly identical example here.
EX Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Feuer, New York,
acquired in the 1970s - 1980s > private New York
collection.
A
PHILISTINE ONE-HANDLED CUP from
Megiddo,
Iron Age I, Stratum VIa, 11th Century B.C. So-called
“Beer-Mug.” Bichrome black and red on salmon, decorated
with metopes of horizontal squiggly lines and helical
cross-hatched diamond-patterns between trilinear
vertical borders, between bilinear border at top and
trilinear border beneath. The strap-handle decorated in
red on the outside and bordered by a wide red vertical
band at each side. The inside of the cup also decorated
at the top with a red band, two wide black bands below,
and a circular black band at the bottom surrounding a
reserved circle. Flat, reserved base and thus
free-standing. For the mug iconography see Ben-Shlomo,
D.,
Philistine Iconography: Iconographic
Representations, p. 52, Fig. 3.12.A. 9.0cm.
(3.54 in.) ht., 11.5cm. (4.53 in.) dia.
A rare
form, and very rare complete.
A few very minor imperfections, otherwise intact and in
excellent condition. Ref# V1577
$375
EX Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Feuer, New
York, acquired in the 1970s - 1980s > private New
York collection.
Or both V1576 and V1577 for $750
PALESTINE:
PHILISTINIAN POTTERY OFFERING BOWL,
Philistine Canaan, Iron Age IB, late 12th Century B.C.,
Tel Batash? (biblical Timnah), four opposing
rudimentary lugs around against the rim; painted in
reddish-brown around the upper shoulder with a bordered
“ladder” pattern of parallel vertical lines. Slightly
carinated shoulder. Flat base. Cf. Panitz-Cohen,
Tel
Batash (Timnah) Volume III. Finds from the Second
Millennium BCE (2006), pl. 80, 2. 9.5cm.
overall dia., 9.0cm. rim dia., 4.0cm. overall ht.,
7.0cm. base dia. Earthen deposits on the inside,
calciferous mineral deposits outside. Minute chipping to
the rim, otherwise intact. Ref# V1564
$65
EX Christie's > Howard S. Rose Gallery, New York
> New York private collection
An
EARLY MESOPOTAMIAN SUMERIAN STONE VESSEL,
Sumer,
Early Dynastic II, 27th Century B.C., probably from
Nippur, a limestone cup / deep conical bowl, slightly
convex body with a finely bevelled rim and a flat base,
thus free-standing. Ht. 10.0cm., dia. 9.8cm. 440gm.
(15.5) oz.
Compare a smaller bowl in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Acc. No.
62.70.8. Some
areas of surface encrustation and a few scattered minor
areas of surface erosion, and a professionally restored
area of rim restoration.
Remarkably well-balanced on
a small circular flat foot, thus free-standing. A
delicately rendered, albeit quite heavy example!
Ref# V1616
$375
Ex Edward H. Merrin Gallery, NYC. 1970’s (their
decal affixed to the base) > private New York
collector.
See an example here,
somewhat smaller and damaged, at $925.
A GOOD-SIZED
SUMERIAN GREYWARE JAR,
Ur III (Third Dynasty of Ur), late 3rd Millennium B.C.,
fine dark grey clay, wheel-made globular body with a
rounded base that tapers at the neck before terminating
in short flared rim with two hand-modelled pierced
lug-handles on each side of the shoulder. Cf.
British
Museum 1935.0113.753
(shard only). An
attractive, fully developed example of a form existing
in the Early Dynastic III and Akkadian periods, although
the lug-handles are singular, and it had not yet reached
this level of refinement.
Very Rare in this
condition. Ht. 5-3/4” (14.6cm.). Intact,
with some scattered areas of surface
deposits. Ref# V1355
$475
Pottery of Sumer is very elusive.
EX Medusa Ancient Art, Montréal
> Dalen Bayes collection, Washington.
Appraised by Howard S. Rose at $600 -
$900
A
MESOPOTAMIAN ASSYRIAN TERRACOTTA PLAQUE
of an advancing bull, Kalhu (Nimrud), Neo-Assyrian
Period, 9th/8th Century B.C. 10.4cm. (4.1 in.) l.,
8.2cm. (3.2 in.) ht. Strong mineral deposits and root
marks. Fine condition, chipped. Ref# V1370
Sold
EX German professional antiquities market, 1980s
> private German collection > London
professional antiquities market > private New York
collection.
Kalhu (also known as Caleh, Calah, and Nimrud) was
a city in ancient Mesopotamia that became the capital
of the Assyrian Empire under Ashurnasirpal II (reigned
884-859 B.C.) who moved the central government there
from the traditional capital of Ashur.
The Assyrians experienced a Golden Age during this
period (referred to as Neo-Assyrian); the kingdom grew
to its largest extent, encompassing the lands from
parts of modern Iran to the Mediterranean, from
Anatolia to Egypt
An
EARLY EGYPTIAN STONE VASE, First
Intermediate Period, c. 2181–2055 B.C., a small
shouldered jar in high quality pinkish-cream limestone,
of squat bulbous form with a wide rim. Cf. Aston, B.G.,
Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels, Materials and Forms,
p. 140, Form 140 (FIP). Ht. 4.7cm., body dia. 6.3cm.,
rim dia. outer 5.5cm., inner 4.2cm. A restored rim
chip, otherwise intact. A beautifully executed example.
A small but rather heavy vase, perfectly
free-standing on a slightly flattened convex base!
Ref# V1617
Sold
EX private New York collection
An
EGYPTIAN ELECTRUM (ELEKTRON)
HORUS-EYE
AMULET (Eye
of Horus, Udjat, Uzat, Wadjet or Wedjat).
Middle Kingdom, Dynasty XII, 1991-1786 B.C. Cf. Petrie,
Amulets, p. 33,
Uzat Eye: Unusual Types,
139, Type C. Cp. Mueller-Winkler,
Die ägyptischen
Objekt Amulette, pl. 5, 103. Reisner, G.A.,
Amulets
-. 7mm. Intact
. Rare.
Ref.# V1003
$65
Electrum (Elektron), the naturally occurring
alloy of gold and silver, had a religious significance
to ancient Egyptians who believed silver was the
material of which the bones of the gods and goddesses
were made, and their skin of gold.
EX old Berlin collection > Aton
Gallery (Oberhausen, Germany) > New York
collection.
A Swiss collection here
originally acquired from the Aton Gallery.
A
LIGHT-BLUE GLAZED STEATITE SCARAB naming
AMENHOTEP (Amenhetep, Amenophis) III
. Probably
a commemorative Amarna issue of his son Akhenaten, 1351/53–1336/34
B.C. Cf.
BMC Egyptian Scarabs, etc., Vol. I: Royal
Scarabs, pl. XXIV, 78; Petrie,
Tell El Amarna,
pl. XIV, 10 (fragmentary commemorative issue under
Akhenaten); Matouk,
Corpus du Scarabée Égyptien, Vol. I:
Les Scarabées Royaux, pl. 214, 501 & 509.
0.6cm. A tiny, beautifully executed scarab of pretty
light-blue color. Intact. Ref# V1112
$75 Reserved
Ex Galerie bb-Antiken & Asiatika, Michael
Betz, Langweid, Augsburg, Bavaria > private New
York collection.
An EGYPTIAN ROYAL BLUE GLAZED RING BEZEL
for TUTANKHATEN, c. 1332-1329 B.C. This
composition-glazed (aka faience) ring-bezel shows part
of the birth-name of Tutankhamun (Tutankhaten) "Living
image of Amun (Aton)". He changed his birth name of
Tutankhaten (living image of Aten) to Tutankhamun
(living image of Amun) and his wife of Anchesenpaaton
(she lives for / by Aton) in Anchesenamun (she lives for
/ by Amun). The arrangement of the preserved
hieroglyphics and the remaining size of the cartouche
fragment suggests that this is probably from the
pre-throne time as prince, instead of the time of his
ascension to the throne as pharaoh.
Finds from the
reign of this most renowned of all pharaohs are
extremely rare and highly sought-after collectibles.
Such faience ring grave goods were very popular in the
Amarna Period and were mainly used by people who were
close to the royal court, as a salute. The
display-stand inscription reads:
Eigenname für
Pharao Tutanchaton (Tutanchamun) "Lebindiges Abbild
des Aton" ca. 1332 bis 1323 vor Christus =
Name
for Pharaoh Tutankhaten (Tutankhamun) "Living image of
the Aton." ca. 1332 to 1323 B.C. Size: c.
1.2 cm (overall height of the stand 8.3 cm). Condition:
Fragment. Provenance: German private collection. Egypt,
New Kingdom, Amarna Period, 18th. Dyn. c. 1332-1323 B.C.
Tutankhamun as prince before accession, this is probably
from the pre-throne time as prince. (Born ca. 1341 B.C.,
became king ca. 1332. Changed to
Nebkheperure
during third year of reign. Therefore, not after 1329
B.C.)
Exceedingly rare: much
rarer than the throne-name ring-bezels.
Ref.# V1004
$1250
Excessively rarer than bezels with the throne-name. The
throne-name is Nebkheperure
and does not contain the ankh sign.
EX private German collection > Galerie
bb-Antiken & Asiatika, Michael Betz, Langweid,
Augsburg, Bavaria > private New York collection.
FOUR AMULETS, Amarna, c.
1351-1323 B.C.): 2 amulets of
Bes, the dwarf god
of children, dance and games, (
a) the first
depicting him in his playful squatting position,
blue-glazed. Head missing. Cf. Petrie,
Amulets, 188. 9mm. (
b) the second, red-glazed,
depicting him playing a tambourine. Legs missing. Cf.
Petrie, Amulets, 189b. 14mm. Both for
$32.50
(c) a blue-glazed amulet of the lion-headed
goddess
Sekhmet, crowned with solar uraeus
headdress. The lion-headed Sekhmet was the
warrior-goddess who protected the pharaoh. Head only.
Cf. Petrie, Amulets, 194. 9mm.
Sold
(
d) and the last depicting a
pharaoh,
wearing the Amarna crown, and holding a heka (staff) and
nekhakha (flail). Fragmentary. Cf. Petrie, Amulets, 127.
12mm.
$62.50 Ref.# V1045
All Ex Galerie bb-Antiken & Asiatika,
Michael Betz, Langweid, Augsburg, Bavaria > private
New York collection.
An EGYPTIAN GEMSTONE KHESBAD POPPY-HEAD
PENDANT, in lapis lazuli.
NEW KINGDOM, DYNASTY
XVIII, AMARNA PERIOD, 1353-1335 B.C. Suspension
hole at top. 1.4cm. Intact. EX old Berlin collection.
Cf. Catalogue of the Petrie Museum (University College,
London), no. 31137. Cf. Petrie, Amulets, 50-1.
Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Jewelry
Elements for a Broad Collar, Accession Number 31.114.2a,
4th row (New Kingdom, Amarna Period, reign of Akhenaten,
ca. 1343-1336).
Ref# V1177
$69.50
Ex Galerie bb-Antiken & Asiatika, Michael
Betz, Langweid, Augsburg, Bavaria.
A GEMSTONE POPPY-HEAD NESHMET
PENDANT.
NEW KINGDOM, DYNASTY XVIII, AMARNA
PERIOD, 1353-1335 B.C. Amazonite, 1.4cm. Hole for
suspension. Cf. Catalogue of the Petrie Museum
(University College, London), no. 31137; Petrie,
Amulets, 50-1; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
Jewelry Elements for a Broad Collar, Accession Number
31.114.2a, 4th row (New Kingdom, Amarna Period, reign of
Akhenaten, ca. 1343-1336); Bienkowski, P. and Tooley,
A.,
Gifts of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Arts and
Crafts in Liverpool Museum, p. 54, 75, 5th row,
2nd from l.
Intact.
EX
old Berlin collection.
Ref#
V1178
$100
During this period amazonite (neshmet) was
mined from two mines at Gebel Migif.
Ex Galerie bb-Antiken & Asiatika, Michael
Betz, Langweid, Augsburg, Bavaria.
A Rare West African
BURA ASINDA-SIKKA
HEAD, Valley of the Niger, ca. 3rd Century, a
so-called "memorial head," hand-modelled and fired
terracotta, with curved nose, drilled petite eyes,
vertically ridged “scarification” lines between the eyes
and across the bridge of the nose; the back basically
undecorated save for a lightly modeled vertical coiffure
and neck-collar, and the ears pierced through. 57mm.
(2-1/4 in.), 173mm. (6.8 in.) on custom walnut removable
base. Cf. Neumeister, Munich:
Afrika - Collection
Dr. Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler (15 Oct. 2009), lot
1191.
Also
Editions de la
Réunion des Musées Nationaux,
Vallées du Niger (Paris, 1993), p. 551, fig. 100;
Schädler, K.-F.,
Erde und Erz (Earth and Ore),
fig. 91; Gilbert, M.,
Niger Terracottas (in
African Arts, Spring 2020, Vol. 5, 1), p. 72, 16.
Rare
type. Displays well on the custom wood
display-stand which is included. Ref#
V1580
$245
EX private Pennsylvania collection > private
New York collection.
With a custom museum walnut stand, ingeniously
built up with an attached walnut-stained epoxy base to
allow the sculpture to stand securely but remain
removable.
These heads were initially discovered in 1975, many by
farmers who were preparing their fields. Hence many
Bura sculptural works were accidentally broken by
shovels before serious archaeological excavations
began in 1983. These anthropomorphic heads of
the Bura culture have been much sought after for their
unusual abstraction and simplicity.
See one here
(the lot 1191 referenced above) which realized $1,789
(€1,200 against an est. of €2,000
- €3,000), albeit a
larger example.
A Rare West African
SOKOTO TERRACOTTA
“
CHIEF HEAD,” Northwest Nigeria, c. A.D.
400, also referred to as
"Nok, Sokoto style," a
so-called "Chief Head” in orange-brown terra-cotta,
hand-modeled, with characteristic overhanging brows,
wearing “laureated” (hatched) crown and long beard,
typical of the anthropomorphic figures are the
distinctive eyes with the pupils created by an oval
recess, as well as the distinctive jewelry and the
beards, and headgear. Cf. Bernard de Grunne,
The
Birth of Art in Africa, p. 24, p. 26 (only about
130 “fragments” known) and pp. 104-7, nos. 62-5. Ht.
16.3cm. (6.4 in.), 17.6cm. (6.9 in.) with stand
(removable). The eroded surfaces of the terracottas
produced using the construction technique were
originally smoothly coated and are now mostly grainy
weathered. A heavy, dense example. Fragmentary with no
repairs.
Rare.
Ref# V1592
$575
EX Galerie Walu, Zurich (1995) > private Swiss
collection > Basel art market > private New York
collection.
With TL test (thermoluminescence report) from Kotalla
identifying it as Sokoto Merkmale (= Sokoto
characteristics) and ± 1,600 years old. (A TL
test alone can cost $275 to $750 not including
shipping the object both ways!)
Compare Musée du Louvre, Pavillon des Sessions,
Numéro d'inventaire Quai Branly 70.1999.8.2; Gorny
& Mosch 275, 2020, 438
which realized a total of $2780 w/ BP; also see Gorny
& Mosch 272, 2020, 431
which realized a total of $4856 w/ BP.
Sokoto ceramic sculptures are considerably rarer than
their Nok counterparts; they are sometimes referred to
as “Nok (Sokoto Style).” This piece was originally
purchased as “Nok,” however, the TL report
refers to it as “Sokoto.” The Sokoto and Nok
terracotta sculptures are the oldest to be found in
West Africa and all of Africa other than Egypt. These
statuettes of humans and animals with distinctive
features represent a rare form of artistry found
exclusively in the West African region. The main
Sokoto characteristics are the large size, the pierced
oval eyes under a strong frontal ridge, the flattened
snub nose, the lips and the beard. It also has a
distinctive line that underscores each eye, meeting at
an apex on the bridge of the nose (although single
lines are more commonly found in Sokoto heads). Unlike
the traditional Nok (Jemaa) ornate hairstyles, the
tall and domed head is plainly covered with a skullcap
that has a simple band of decoration running around
the apex of the forehead and around the circumference
of the head above the ears.
A RARE WEST AFRICAN KRONKRONBUA
“GARGOYLE” CONE SCULPTURE, Koma-Bulsa, N. Ghana, Koma
Land (Komaland), ca. later 14th Century, a
theriomorphic so-called cone figurine, hand-modeled and
fired in pale-orange terra-cotta with a dark patina,
depicting a mythical creature (Koma, Cosmos Serpent),
referred to as a
gargoyle, one eye
protruding, the other recessed, with “tongue”
protruding, tufts along the middle of the forehead;
earring on the proper left ear, the other pierced. The
top concave, circular and pierced in the center;
protrusion at midriff, lightly grooved (representing
digits, paws or claws?). Cf. Insoll, T., et al,
Fragmentary
Ancestors: Figurines from Koma Land, Ghana, p.16,
bottom l. (cone figurine) and p. 21 & 26 (mythical
creatures); Insoll, T., et al,
Internal Meanings:
Computed Tomography Scanning of Koma Figurines from
Ghana, p. 28 and Fig. 9; Dagan, E.A.,
Spirits
Within Boundaries / Les Esprits Sans Frontière:
26 Single Headed Terracotta from Komaland /
Vingt-six statuettes de terre cuite a une tete de
Komaland, Ghana
(Galerie Amrad African Arts, Montreal,
1989), p. 46, no. 18. Cp. Kankpeyeng,
B., et al,
Indigenous Cosmology, Art Forms and Past
Medicinal Practices: Towards an Interpretation of
Ancient Koma Land Sites in Northern Ghana, p.
211, fig. 1. Ht. 12.5cm., 14.5cm. with removable
display-stand.
With a detailed TL test (thermoluminescence
report) from Kotalla
Laboratories identifying it as ± 600 years
old. Rare
“gargoyle” type. Ref#
V1629
$575
EX Galerie Walu, Zurich (before 1987) > private
New York collection.
With TL test (thermoluminescence report) from Kotalla
identifying it as ± 600 years old.
(A TL test alone can cost $275 to $750 not
including shipping the object both ways!)
An
ANGLO-SAXON GILT STRAP-END, 10th/11th
Century, Winchester Style. A gilt bronze strap-end with
a male, facing, restraining a beast (“Dog of War”) left,
facing backwards, probably a hunting dog, executed in
openwork on a D-shaped mount with thick border, two
piercings to the plate with the pins extant and simple
hinge to the lower edge. 27mm. x 22mm., 8.44gm. Probably
for a leather purse of pouch. Cf. Brett Hammond,
British
Artefacts: Volume 3 - Late Saxon, Late Viking &
Norman, p. 52, Fig. 1.6-k (East Anglia).
Ref# V1577
$125
EX old English collection > private Essex, England
collection > professional London antiquities market
> private New York collection
Dating per Brett
Hammond.
The Anglo-Saxon Dog of War was apparently the ancestor
of the deerhound.
A
Matching Pair of
VIKING BOOK-MOUNTS,
Urnes Period, 11th/12th Century, St Neots?. A matched
pair of bronze mounts, each a tongue-shaped panel with
attachment pins, openwork body with intricate raised
ladder detailing. 91mm. overall l. ea.
Rare.
Fine condition. Ref# V1554
$85
Sold
EX private Cambridge, England collection, formed in
the last century > Brett Hammond > private New
York collection.
£100 - £140 (~ $137 - $192) valuation by Brett
Hammond and unlisted in his reference, British
Artefacts: Middle Saxon and Viking.
A Rare
CRUSADER STATES TEUTONIC ORDER
BRONZE ANNULAR BROOCH, Ordensstaat, c. 1346-1410,
with hatched decoration, and complete with pin, still
moveable. Cf. Hattatt (2007), p. 382, Fig. 241, 1333.
2.3cm. dia. Attractive patina. Ref.# V1092
Sold
Originally from an old European collection and EX
European professional art market and the late Prof.
James H. Nichols (author: Ancient Greek Coins:
A History of British Numismatic Literature).
These annular brooches were almost exclusively a
men's fashion accessory. Adopted early in the Viking
Age from Irish and Scottish fashions by Viking
settlers. It later caught on in Scandinavia and
Russia. Fastened on the right shoulder with the pin
pointed upward, keeping the sword arm free. The
state of the Teutonic Order (German:
Deutschordensland) or Ordensstaat was a crusader state
formed by the Teutonic Knights or Teutonic Order
during 13th century Northern Crusades along the Baltic
Sea.
A CHINESE NEOLITHIC POTTERY JAR (
Guan).
Machang Phase of the Majiayao
Yangshao
Culture, later 24th/earlier 21st Cent. B.C., Early
Machang Phase (Early MCP), c. later 24th/23rd Cent.
B.C., Qinghai.
A squat vessel, known as a
Guan,
with loop handles. Overall painted red-brown and black
geometric decoration. See Ling-yu Hung,
Pottery
Production, Mortuary Practice, and Social Complexity
in the Majiayao Culture, NW China (ca. 5300-4000 BP),
p. 321,
Early MCP painted pottery vessels
unearthed from Liuwan in Ledu County, Qinghai, Figure
4.11.1. Several small rim chips, otherwise
intact. 8.3cm. (3-1/4”) ht.
Free-standing.
This is an authentic Neolithic jar: most are fakes
which have flooded the market!
Ref.# V1069
$120
EX collection of Vincent Funiciello, Brooklyn, NY.,
1930s - 70s.
See an example here
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Two related examples here
at Christie's realized US$16,250 not including the
buyer's premium.
A Very Rare CHINESE SONG DYNASTY LIDDED
CERAMIC VESSEL having a peaked roofed temple finial.
12th/13th Century. Rich brown glazed surface with
scattered areas of earthen deposits. 13.3cm. (5.25 in.).
Intact. Cf. Treager, Mary,
Song Ceramics,
fig. 252. Ref.# V1044
$185
Cf. Galerie Zacke Vienna, Fine Asian Art, (May 14,
2015), no. 74
(€700 - €1,400).
EX Vincent Funiciello Collection, Brooklyn,
collected until the 1970s, mainly in the 1950s.
A PHENOMENAL
CORNER NOTCH BIRD POINT, Late
Woodland Period, 8th/9th Century,
EX LINTON
FOSTERLING. 35mm., 3.5cm.
Cf. Hranicky,
W.J.,
North American Projectile Points, p. 239,
751
(c. 800 A.D.); Joe Harl, J. and Machiran, R.,
Prehistoric Cultures of the City of Wildwood, St.
Louis County, Missouri (Archaeological Research Center
of St. Louis, 2013), p. 44, Figure 36:
Smaller
Arrow Points Used During Late Woodland Period After
A.D. 700. Intact and superb.
Ref# V1640
$110
A PREHISTORIC NORTH AMERICAN ANCESTRAL PUEBLOAN
(ANASAZI) SHOWLOW BLACK-ON-WHITE JAR, east central
Arizona, A.D. c. 1325-1400, a glazed pottery jar with a
flared rim and a classic black-on-white,
four-mile
design of stepped interlocking triangular elements and
concentric solid bands around the shoulder. Cf. Pomeroy,
J.A.,
A Study Of Black-On-White Painted Pottery In
The Tonto Basin, Arizona: Jars and pitchers of
unidentified black-on-white, Reserve Black-on-white,
Puerco Black-on-white, and Showlow Black-on-white,
p. 51, fig. 18. For the inside rim-decor also see Hayes
and Boom,
Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni
(Lanham, MD, 2015),
Prehistoric Pottery: White
Mountain, p. 40 and p. 41 pl., middle row, last
(Show Low, seed jar, c. 1375). Cf. Haury and Hargrave,
Showlow
and Pinedale Ruins (in
Recently Dated Pueblo
Ruins in Arizona, Smithsonian Miscellaneous
Collections, Vol. 82, No. 11), p. 7 and pl. 7, fig. 1:
Lower level black-on-white sherds, Showlow ruin;
Gifford, J.C.,
Archaeological Explorations In Caves
of the Point of Pines Region, Arizona (Univ. of
Arizona Press, 1980), Number 36, p. 36.
Also see:
Clarke, E.P.,
Designs on the Prehistoric Pottery
of Arizona (Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, 1935),
pl. XVIII. Dia. 16.5cm. (6-1/2 in.), ht. 12.7cm.
(5 in.). Repaired from some twelve original pieces with
restoration over the exterior break lines, and some
scattered small rim chips, otherwise complete.
Already
rare and very rare as a
complete vessel. A beautiful example.
Ref# V1637
$775
Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi): Arizona: Cibola: Cibola
White Ware (ceramic type / Southwestern North American
style): Hopi: Show
Low (Showlow / Sholow / inhabited place):
Showlow Black-on-White (ceramic type / Southwestern
North American style): Southwest (general
region/United States).
EX private Florida collection > New York City
professional art market > private New York
collection
Much more uncommon than the Showlow polychrome and
very rare as a complete vessel.
An example of Four Mile Black-On-White (somewhat more
common than Showlow Black-On-White) sold here
at Sotheby’s in 2007 for $3,000 against an estimate of
$3,000-$5,000.
Many of the Pueblo IV period towns either are now
entirely destroyed (such as Showlow Ruin) or were
greatly disturbed by heavy machinery in the past few
decades (Fourmile and Pinedale ruins). See Van Keuren,
S., Shumway Ruin and the Prehistory of the Silver
Creek Drainage (in Contributions in Science (Natural
History Museum of Los Angeles County, June 2006),
Number 508, p. 4.
Appraised by Howard Rose at $900-$1,100.
Compare https://collections.dma.org/artwork/5181827
PRE-COLUMBIAN, WEST MEXICO, TWO PRECLASSIC
CERAMIC PRETTY LADIES. (a)
Michoacán, 4th/2nd Century B.C. Head
of a "Pretty Lady." Cf. Howard S. Rose
Gallery, Arte Primitivo 94, 2019, Michoacan Pretty
Ladies, 31. (b) Chupícuaro,
5th/4th Century B.C. Head with
torso, so-called pretty lady with headdress and
coffee-bean eyes. Cf.
The
Natalie Wood Collection of Pre Columbian Ceramics from
Chupicuaro (UCLA, 1969), 417. On attractive
walnut stands (both removable). Ref.# V1098
(a) 6.5cm. w.
$27.50
(b) 6.0cm. h.
$27.50
or both for $49.50
EX private Scottsdale, Arizona
collection
An excellent Pre-Columbian
COLIMA SHAMAN
FIGURE, c. 1st Century B.C. This standing
Tuxcacuesco-Ortices
type male is 6-1/4” (16cm.) high and is adorned with a
fancy headdress, necklace and ear ornaments. His layered
tunic is highlighted with crisp incising. Nicely
burnished, good mineral deposits, mounted on a museum
stand. 17.2cm. ht. with the (removeable, i.e.
unattachable) stand. Perfect! Ref# V1181
$250
EX collection of Maria Rendon of Dallas, Texas, by
descent from her father.
A
PRE-COLUMBIAN COLIMA CERAMIC DOG FIGURAL
VESSEL, Late Formative/Early Protoclassic (1st
Century B.C. / A.D. 1st Century), redware, standing,
having a tail spout and arched back, grimacing face with
incised features, perked ears and sloping belly.
Rare
in this smaller-size depiction. L. 19.5cm.
(7-2/3 in.) overall, ht. 10.4cm. (4.1 in.), w. 10.4cm.
(4.1 in.). Overall areas of heavy calcified and
mineral deposits on the surface. Some professional
restoration to the right ear and rear left leg,
otherwise intact. Ref# V1332
$350
This particular rendition in size with rudimentary
feet is known to exist during this period. Also see
Furst, P.T. & J., Pre-Columbian Art of Mexico, p.
30-2.
For this particular portrayal see Catalogue of the The
Walters Art Museum (Baltimore, 2009), 20, 178 and
Sotheby's, New York, Pre-Columbian Art (Nov. 21,
1988), lot 404.
EX Dr. David Harner Collection, Arkansas,
collected in the 1950s-1960s > private Nevada
collection. Exhibited at the Marjorie Barrick
Museum, UNLV, 1980s and late 1990s.
Appraised by Howard S. Rose at $400 - $600.
An example here
which realized $684.75 w/ BP against an est.
of $1,000 - $2,000.
The animal most frequently depicted in Colima art
is the hairless dog, known as the Techichi
or Escuincle. It is believed to be a relative
of the Chihuahua and/or the Mexican Hairless
(Xoloitzcuintle). The word Xoloitzcuintle (pronounced
show-low-eats-queen´-tlee) is derived from the name of
the Aztec god Xolotl (twin brother of the god
Quetzacoatl), and the Aztec word for dog, itzcuintli.
Known to exist in Mexico for more than 3,000 years,
the Xolo (show-low) can justly claim the distinction
as first dog of the Americas.
Pre-Columbian,
West Mexico,
COLIMA
POTTERY RATTLE OF A MOTHER NURSING HER BABY,
Protoclassic, A.D. 2nd/3rd Century. Seated, hair braided
and wearing headdress, otherwise naked. With some neat
restoration, otherwise intact and rather charming.
Rattles
still work! Cp.
Catalogue of the Hillwood Art
Museum (Brookville, NY, 1993), no. 2. Ht. 6.3cm.
(2-1/2 in.). Ref.# V1097
$49.50
EX private Scottsdale, Arizona collection
A
PRE-COLUMBIAN NAYARIT POTTERY
HEAD AND TORSO OF A DOG, Post-Olmec (Late
Preclassic), ca. 2nd Century B.C./A.D. 2nd Century.
5.3cm. (2.1 in.).
Probably from a quadrupod vessel.
Ref.# V1099
$12.50
EX private Scottsdale, Arizona collection
A
CHOICE PRE-COLUMBIAN CHUPÍCUARO FEMALE
POTTERY FIGURINE,
West Mexico,
Guanajuato,
Middle Preclassic Period. 9th/8th Century B.C., pregnant
and wearing wide choker-necklace, elaborate headdress
with vertical and triangular decor, earrings and
armlets, and vertically pleated short body-dress. Buff
earthenware, stick-polished. Painted decoration extant
in feint red and white. Cf.
The Natalie Wood
Collection of Pre Columbian Ceramics from Chupicuaro
(UCLA, 1969), p. 60, 430; Porter, M.N.,
Excavations at Chupicuaro, Guanajuato, IX., Human
Figurines, Choker figurines, p. 557
. Ht.
8.6 cm. (3.4 in.). Intact. Ref.# V1070
$175
EX private Southwestern collection, acquired
prior to 1970 > Howard S. Rose Gallery, NYC (their
provenance and dating: "Chupicuaro, Guanajuato
variety, c. 1,000 B.C.") > private New York
collection.
A
CHOICE PRE-COLUMBIAN TRIPOD JAR.
Teotihuacán,
Miccaotli Phase, c. A.D. 150-225, decorated with a
textured band of triangle designs. Overall ht. 8.0cm.
(3.15 in.), 9.3cm. (3-2/3 in.) dia. In perfect
condition, with strong mineral deposits and root marks.
Cf. Cowgill, G.L.,
Ceramica de Teotihuacan /
Ceramics of Teotihuacan (in
Artes de Mexico, No. 88 (Mexico City, 2008),
p. 28 and p. 29, 2nd row, 2nd and 3rd from l.; Séjourné,
L.,
Arqueología de Teotihuacán: La Cerámica, 3) El
vaso cilindrico, p. 160. Ref.# V1071
$185
EX Arte
Xibalba, Florida > private New York
collection.
A
PRE-COLUMBIAN BLACKWARE SPIDER-MONKEY SELLO
(Pintadera, Printing-Stamp),
Teotihuacán.
Tlamimilolpa-Xolalpan, 4th-6th Century. Handle at back
with find-spot inscribed in black ink. Fragmentary as
shown. 4.1cm. w., 4.0cm. h. The double border-outline is
believed to be a reference to the Pyramid of the Sun.
Cf. Campbell, C.J.,
Spider Monkeys, Teotihuacán,
pp. 379-80; Werness, H.B.,
Continuum Encyclopedia of
Animal Symbolism in World Art, p. 280. Ref#
V1101
$37.50
Found at Teotihuacán, February 11, 1954
EX private Scottsdale, Arizona
collection
A
FINE PRE-COLUMBIAN TRIPOD JAR
from
Teotihuacán, A.D. early 5th
Century. This choice Early Xolalpan vessel is 3-7/8"
(9.75cm.) in diameter and is decorated with panels of
stylized designs. The trio of legs are hollow and
contain rattles. Strong mineral deposits and root
marks overall.
This was the time of
Teotihuacan's strongest influence with the Maya.
See Braswell, G.E. (ed.),
The Maya and Teotihuacan:
Reinterpreting Early Classic Interaction, p. 37.
Cp. Berrin & Pasztory,
Teotihuacán:
Art from the City of the Gods, p. 245, no. 124
(Early Xolalpan A.D. 400); Séjourné, L.,
Arqueología
de Teotihuacán: La Cerámica, Lám. 29, 2nd row, 1st
from l. (damaged).
Latest dating per Cowgill
Chronology (1996). Intact.
Ref.#
V1072
$185
EX Arte
Xibalba, Florida > private New York
collection.
A
PRE-COLUMBIAN POTTERY
ADORNO,
Teotihuacán, Late Xolalpan,
beginning of A.D. 6th Century. Male head with a typical
headdress of the period. Such "masks" were attached to
incensario-lids. cf. Bushnell, G.H.S.,
Ancient Arts
of the Americas, p. 40 opp., 31c; Rattray. E.C.,
Teotihuacan:
Ceramics, Chronology and Cultural Trends, p. 239.
5.3cm. (2.1 in.) Ref.# V1075
$45
For dating cf. Cowgill, George L., (1996) Ancient
Mesoamerica 7:329.
A
MAYA (Mayan)
PRIEST-
FIGURINE,
Classical ("Classic") Period, 7th/9th Century, depicted
holding a ritual-offering in his hands and wearing
ear-spools, a double-necklace and a loincloth. The
custom removable museum-stand in steel and dark-brown
stained hardwood included. For this depiction see the
Catalogue
of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1988, no.
1204. Pale indian-red terracotta, ht. 14cm. (5.5 in.),
w. 7cm. (2.75 in.), 22.5cm. (8.9 in.) total ht. with
stand. Old loss as noted in the photograph.
Rare.
Ref# V1261
$145
EX Origine Expert, Paris > private New York
collection
A
MAYA ZOOMORPHIC JADE DISC-PENDANT, avian
form (head of an owl), c. A.D. 790-920, a “currency”
pendant, convex with flat back, tufted/scalloped edge,
finely polished surfaces, with an added antique, custom
14K gold swivel bail finding, hand-made with stamped
decor and allowing for the addition of a strand.
Semitranslucent jade of light aqua color, an elegant and
beautiful pendant. See Hirth, K.G. & S.,
Ancient
Currency: The Style and
Use of Jade and Marble Carvings in
Central Honduras (in Lange,
F.W., ed.,
Precolumbian Jade), pp. 174ff and p.
179, Fig. 13.3d. 40mm. (1.57 in.) dia., 58mm.
(2.28 in.) overall l. with bail, total wt.
23.80gm.
Rare. Some
mineral deposits extant and intact. Ref#
V1611
Sold
EX Howard S. Rose Gallery (Arte Primitivo), New York,
early 2000s > private Florida collection (gold bail
finding added) > private New York collection.
A Large and Very Rare AZTEC RITUAL
PEYOTE TRIPOD-BOWL, c. 1325-1519, in beige
terracotta, slipped in orange, and cut with complex
shamanic glyptic symbols arranged symmetrically around a
central cross (the cross was associated with
Chalchiuhtlicue and her relationship with Quetzalcoatl)
in white in the inside-center. The feet are in the shape
of
peyote (
Lophophora
Williamsii) buttons, the divine plant of the
spirit gods used by the general Aztec
population, as well as by the shamans, as an entheogen.
Cp.
Aztec Archeological Potteries (in the
International Journal of Thermophysics · November 2006),
p. 1899, 1, fig. 1 photo (from the “Templo Mayor”
archeological site, after 1325 to 1521, of Tenochtitlan,
Mexico City). For the form, fabric and pigments compare
The Aztec Empire: Catalogue of the Exhibition
(Guggenheim, 2004), p. 62, no. 276 (1440-1521). Also see
Carod-Artal, F.J.,
Alucinógenos En Las Culturas
Precolombinas Mesoamericanas (in Neurología,
Cuenca, Spain, 2011, Vol. 30, No. 1), pp. 42ff and
Carrasco, D. and Sessions, S.,
Daily Life Of The
Aztecs: People of the Sun and Earth, pp. 236-8;
Furst, P.T.,
Hallucinogens In Precolumbian Art,
pp. 57 and 72; James W. Salterio Torres,
Aztec
Mythology, p. 146. Dia. 25cm. (9.8 in.),
ht. 9cm. (3.5 in.). Rather neatly repaired from a large
fragment and a few smaller with some slight surface
restoration and complete.
Ref# V1259
$375
Lophophora williamsii or peyote is a
small, spineless cactus with psychoactive alkaloids,
particularly mescaline. The English common name
peyote is a Spanish loanword, which comes from the
Nahuatl name peyōtl, said to be derived from a root
meaning "glisten" or "glistening."
EX Origine Expert, Paris > private New York
collection.
A
PRE-COLUMBIAN AZTEC CLASSIC PERIOD POTTERY
VESSEL-LEG, probably from an incensario, depicting
the head of a
grimacing
fox, an emblem of the goddess Tlazōlteōtl.
14th/15th Century. 5.5cm. (2.2 in.). A 4mm. circular
mounting-hole underneath. Ref# V1100
$27.50
EX private New York collection.
A
PRE-COLUMBIAN AZTEC POTTERY SELLO
(Pintadera, Printing-Stamp), depicting
Ozomatli,
the Aztec monkey-god of dance, fire, the new harvest,
and music. 15th Century. Handle at back. Cf.
British
Museum nos. Am,St.588.I
and Am1943,06.67;
Enciso,
Design Motifs – Ancient Mexico, p. 119.
Repair at bottom and complete. 5.7 cm. (2-1/4 in.)
Ref.# V1074
$85
EX private New York collection.
A
PRE-COLUMBIAN AZTEC POTTERY SELLO
(Pintadera, Printing-Stamp), depicting a priest of the
god
Xochipilli (god of music and dance). c. 1440
- beginning of the 16th Century. Raised handle at back.
Cf. British Museum nos. Am1946, 16.98 and 99. 6.8
cm. (2-2/3 in.) Intact.
Ref.#
V1073
$85
EX private New York collection.
An
AZTEC POTTERY TWIN-HEADED SERPENT SELLO
(Pintadera, Printing-Stamp), of
Quetzalcoatl,
the Aztec god of wind and learning.
Huitzilopochco
(
Churubusco), c.
1440-1519. 6.5cm. (2-1/2 in.) x 4.4cm. (1-3/4 in.).
Handle at back. Repaired from two pieces and complete.
Ref.# V1086
$75
Sold
EX private New York collection.
Quetzalcoatl, God of Wind and Wisdom,
connected with the planet Venus, of the dawn, of
merchants and of arts, crafts, learning and
knowledge. He was also the patron god of the Aztec
priesthood.
An
AZTEC CERAMIC BICHROME TRIPOD MORCILLO
MOLCAJETE BOWL, Otumba, ca. 1478 - 1520,
so-called chili-grinder bowl, slipped in red and white
on buff, the tondo scored/grilled which it has been
suggested may have been utilized to grind peppers (see
Werner Forman Archive / Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin.
Loc. 26). Cf. Smith, M.E..
Postclassic Ceramics from
the Toluca Valley in US Museums: The Bauer and Blake
Collections (in
Mexicon, Vol. XXIII,
December 2001), p. 144, Fig. 3 (Molcajetes). For other
examples with this tondo decor see the
Catalogue of
the Collections in the Brooklyn Museum: Arts of the
Americas, Aztec, Tripod Pottery Bowl, ca.
1440-1521, acc. no. 48.22.15, an example in the Museo de
América, Madrid (image ID RPYF98), and another:
Sammlung
Ethnologisches Museum Amerika (Berlin), Ident.
Nr. IV Ca 25776
(Molcajete Tongefäß, Municipio
Calimaya, Toluca, Azteken Kultur). Also compare
Jesús Vico, Auc. 10, 2020, 527 for the fabric. Ht.
9.0cm. (3.5 in.), dia. 16.5cm. (6.5 in.). Intact. Good
mineral deposits extant.
Rare.
Ref# V1612
$235
EX private New York collection.
Otumba
is one of a few Late Aztec-period city-states in the
Basin of Mexico whose central city or town is not
obscured by post-Conquest occupation.
A Rare PRE-COLUMBIAN AZTEC TERRACOTTA
OTOMI WARRIOR HEAD. Aztec Imperial,
Tlacetilli Otomi, ca. 1486-1526. Wearing the typical
headdress and Xicalcoliuhqui tattoo on each cheek.
Free-standing.
Ht. 10.5cm. (4.1 in.). Stable stress-crack across upper
nose to eye. Ref.# V1085
$125
See von Hagen, V.W., AZTEC: Man And Tribe, p. 171, 48
(bottom r.) for the tattoo and p. 193, 55 (lower panel
upper r.) for the headdress. Also see Aguilar-Moreno,
Handbook to Life in the Aztec World, p. 204.
The Otomi or Otontin were an elite Aztec military
order, named after the Otomi people who were renowned
for their fierce fighting. In the historical sources
it is often difficult to discern whether the word
otomitl "Otomi" refers to members of the Aztec warrior
society, or members of the ethnic group who also often
joined the Aztec armies as mercenaries or allies. The
Otomi were one of the earliest peoples known to wear
tattoos.
Probably from the environs of El
Cerrito. Collected in the hills SW of the city
of Querétaro by Kenneth Burlingham in 1958 as noted in
ink on the back of this head, and collection number
inked on bottom. This collector is known to have
collected Pre-Columbian artifacts in Mexico in the
1950s and 1960s.
In the later pre-Hispanic period, the area was
populated by the Otomi, who had become sedentary urban
dwellers with sophisticated politics by the time of
the Aztec Empire, who referred to them as the
Tlacetilli Otomi or "Otomi Nation/State." This area
was under control of the Otomi dominion of Xilotepeque
in the 1440s, which in turn was subject to the Aztec
Empire of Mexihco-Tenochtitlan. Under the reign of
Ahuizotl in the late 15th century, the Aztecs
administered the area directly, considering it a
bulwark against the Chichimeca lands to the north.
EX private Maine collection > private New York
collection.
A
NAZCA POLYCHROME DECORATED POTTERY KERO,
Early Classic
Nazca A (c. A.D. 20 / c. 333), in
light, medium and dark brown, black and cream, and
having a wide, central exterior band of scroliate
elements, upper rim band of stepped decoration. Cf.
Martin-Vegue,
Nazca Pottery at Florida State
University, Table 1 and pl. XLV, B3-4. Ht.
4-1/2 in. (11.4cm.), dia. 6-1/8 in. (15.6cm.). Two large
original pieces reattached in one side with restoration
over the break lines, otherwise
intact. Ref# V1455
$295
For the dating see Middle American Research Records
(Middle American Research Institute, Tulane
University), Issue 18, p. 25.
EX private Texas collection (formed since 1960s)
Appraised by the Pre-Columbian expert Howard S. Rose
at $500-$800.
EARLY FORMATIVE CHAVÍN-CUPISNIQUE BLACKWARE BOTTLE,
Chongoyape, Peru, Tembladera Phase, c. 12th/11th Century
B.C., burnished, incised and textured, an unusually
elegant single-spout shape with incised and
“scratch/combed*” stepped decor, repeated on either
side. Ht. 20.5cm. (8.1 in.), dia. 13.0cm. (5.1 in.) This
“bevelled-lip” (i.e. prominent-lip) in combination with
the “concave-shaped spout” is indigenous to Chongoyape
(see Burtenshaw-Zumstein, J.T.,
Cupisnique,
Tembladera, Chongoyape, Chavín? - A Typology of
Ceramic Styles from Formative Period Northern Peru,
1800-200 BC [University of East Anglia, 2014], p.
214).
Rare (ibid., p. 145). *Ibid,
p. 412, Table 6.1 and p. 174; Burger, R.L.,
Chavin
and the Origins of Andean Civilization: The Old
Temple: Gallery of the Offerings, p. 139, no. 133
("dentate rocker stamping"). For this fabric also
see Millon et Associés,
Art de l’Amérique
Précolombienne (Paris, 2018), no. 6.
Also
compare a bottle here.
Choice condition. Ref# V1562
$325
Cupisnique culture, which arose on the north coast of
Peru, was strongly influenced by Chavín culture,
centered in the highlands. This dark, thick-walled,
and highly burnished vessel with incised decoration
may have been used during special feasts, ceremonies,
and other public gatherings. The Cupisnique people
modeled their pottery and then fired it in
wood-burning kilns which produced a lot of smoke,
giving the ceramics their dark color. Decoration was
produced through the incision technique.
Chongoyape is named after an archaeological site
located near the town of the same name, in the
department of Lambayeque, Peru. Some of the oldest
examples of metalwork in Peru have been found here.
Although Chongoyape is traditionally considered to
belong to the Chavín culture, it is closer to
Cupisnique style, and is thus often referred to as
Chavín-Cupisnique style.
A Beautiful
PRE-COLUMBIAN MOCHE OWL JAR from
Peru, 5th/7th Century. It is 3-1/2” (8.9 cm.) high and
depicts a superbly detailed
owl. The facial
features echo earlier Salinar styles with appliqué eyes
and intact suspension loops acting as ears. Cf.
Catalogue
of the Fowler Museum (UCLA, Los Angeles, 1972),
No. 451
(Early Intermediate Period).
Vivid paint, strong mineral deposits, perfect.
Ref.#
V1082
$225
The owl was divine to the Mochica and was associated
with the night.
EX estate of Leroy Irons, Gallatin, TN, collected in
the 1970s > Arte
Xibalba, Florida > private New York
collection.
A Charming and
Rare PRE-COLUMBIAN
MOCHE BICHROME CUY STIRRUP VESSEL, Moche
valley in northern Peru, Mochica Period IV, later
5th/earlier 6th Century.
This fine effigy
vessel of orange-pink ground with painted white details
is 5-3/8” long (13.65 cm.) and depicts a cuy (Guinea
pig) with bulging eyes and broad smile. Intact.
Adorable!
Ref.#
V1084
$375
See Domingo,
Archeologia Andina: Peru, p.
118, 130.
The cuy was a household pet for the Mochica, and also
used by the Chimú and Inca as an
instrument of divination where the depiction
of the cuy also exists in the form of stirrup
vessels.
EX private Southwestern U.S. collection > Arte
Xibalba > private New York collection.
A Large
NAZCA-HUARI POLYCHROME
DOUBLE-SPOUT-AND-BRIDGE VESSEL, Peru,
South-Central Coast, 8th/9th Century, bulbous body
having two long spouts connected with a strap bridge
type handle. Painted black and red stepped geometric
decoration on a cream ground. Low relief decoration
around the base.
Free-standing.
Professionally repaired from fragments but
complete
with restoration only over the break lines. Ht. 8-1/2
in. (21.5cm.).
Rare example.
Ref# V1330
$175
See Griffin, G., Guide to Arts of the Americas,
Pre-Columbian: Nazca: Early Huari, p. 123, B, and
note.
EX prestigious Manhattan Pre-Columbian art gallery and
private Texas collection.
A Large and Early SICÁN
Double-Spout-And-Bridge Vessel from Peru, later
8th/9th Century, of footed, saucer form with
multi-spiked and some circular, flat decor, perhaps in representation of the nopal
(opuntia) cactus, and tall, tapered spouts connected
with a bridge-type handle. Painted black highlights
and circular elements on a white-ground lower
body. See Hoyle, R.L.,
Peru, p. 161 (form); Domingo, Archeologia Andina: Peru, p. 199,
249, P. 315 (decor). Free-standing. Rare.
Ht.
9-1/2 in. (24.1cm.).
Repaired from fragments but complete;
professional restoration over some of the breaklines.
Ref# V1331 $175
See Art of The Andes from the Arthur M.
Sackler Collections (1983), p. 204.
EX prestigious Manhattan Pre-Columbian art gallery and
private Texas collection.
The Pre-Inca SICÁN Culture (700 -
1100) also known as the "Lambayeque" Culture,
settled down in the north coast; The Batán Grande or
Sicán Archaeological Complex, just north of
Chiclayo, Lambayeque Province, Peru, is an ancient
archaeological site that was their cultural center.
In it, 50 pyramids have been identified. The
archaeological site is located in the Historic
Forest Sanctuary of Pómac.
A CERAMIC SLIPPED INCA
IMPERIAL POLYCHROME PACCHA, PERU, Cuzco,
15th/early 16th Century,
a ceremonial
vessel used for pouring libations such as chicha
(maize beer) on the earth to ensure fertility and
growth of plentiful crops, also known
as a pacha or pacqha, molded into the form of
stacked gourds and with a worm along opposite sides
and turtle mouth spout. For the geometrical
pattern borders motif see Bushnell, G.H.S., Ancient
Arts of the Americas, p. 217, no. 207 (Cuzco);
also see Domingo, Archeologia Andina: Peru, p.
295, no. 389 (= P. 407: kero, horizonte tardio); the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The
Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest
of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979, Acc. No. 206.1149
(Cuzco); also the
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, acc. no. B08.1187 (bottle,
whistling, 1470-1534 CE, Inca, Cuzco, Peru). For an
explanation of these objects see Ancient Andean
Arts in the Collection of the Krannert Art Museum
(University of Illinois, 1975) by Alan Sawyer, p. 65.
Overall l. 20.5cm. (8-1/2 in.) excl. the custom,
removable stand. Some restoration to the rim and
otherwise intact and an extremely rare
depiction of a paccha.
Ref# V1639 $875
EX Collection of Dr. Saul Tuttman and Dr. Gregory
Siskind, New York, acquired in the 1970s.
A Detailed
PRE-COLUMBIAN INCA SILVER BIRD AMULETIC PENDANT,
Peru, 14th/15th Century, hollow-formed and wonderfully
hand crafted with incised eyes and tail feathers,
double horizontal suspension holes through the
forepart of the wings. Cf. Ancient Resource, Auction
30: Fine Ancient Artifacts, Lot 293. 1.5 x 1.5
cm. Intact with light oxide patina. Ref.# V1083
$135
Silver was reserved for the elite females in the
culture.
EX Leroy Irons, Gallatin, TN, collected in the
1970s.
An identical example here
which realized $210 incl. BP.
A choice INCA IMPERIAL PUCHUELA CEREMONIAL PITCHER,
North Coastal Inca Empire (Highlands of Perú), Late
Horizon (1476-1532). This finely made, squat, handled
aribaloid vessel is decorated with two bands of
elongated-diamonds painted in black over the highly
burnished red slip. The broad strap handle is
decorated with five diagonal crosses each between
bands and shows sign of extensive usage. Cf. Domingo,
Arqueologia Andina Peru, p. 278, fig. 1 and p.
372, P 771 (= Museo de América de Madrid,
Collection No. 595). Ht. 10.8cm. (4-1/4 in.).
Flattened at the base, thus free-standing. Intact, and
the handle showing signs of usage in
antiquity. Ref# V1424 $275
EX Erika Roman (Santa Cruz, Calif., 1985) >
Pamela Llerena (Miami, Florida) collections
> Arte
Xibalba, Florida > private New York
collection.
A
PRE-COLUMBIAN IMPERIAL INCA POTTERY POLYCHROME
KERO, Coastal Peru, A.D. 1460-1532, in
white, red and black. Geometric zig-zag and decorated
squares. Stylized fish iconography (catfish?) around
within the narrow panel just below the rim. A
pouring-lip at one point just under the inside of the
rim. The top of the rim also glazed in dark red.
Free-standing. Cf. Catalogue of the Yale
University Art Gallery (New Haven, 1940), no.
585; for this particular outline-shape (only existing
in the Late Horizon Period) cf. Domingo, M.C., Catalogo
de Museo de América de Madrid (Madrid, 1980),
391. 14.5cm. (5.7 in.). Some fading and a couple small
chips below rim, otherwise intact. Ref# V1151 $165
Imperial Inca keros are relatively elusive in the
Late Horizon Period: the majority extant were
produced in the Colonial Period and usually of
wood composition.
Used for drinking chicha (corn beer) at religious
festivals. A substantial example, weighing about
1.25 lbs (0.57 kg); liquid capacity is about 2
pints / 1 liter(!).
EX Origine Expert, Paris > private New
York collection.
THREE
PRE-COLUMBIAN PERUVIAN TEXTILES, EX RENOWNED
HALPERN COLLECTION OF PRE-COLUMBIAN TEXTILES.
An Inca Ch'uspa Coca Leaf Bag, a
Tumpline & Chancay Fragment (3):
THREE PRE-COLUMBIAN PERUVIAN TEXTILES, EX RENOWNED
HALPERN COLLECTION OF PRE-COLUMBIAN TEXTILES:
An Inca Ch'uspa Coca Leaf Bag, a Tumpline &
Chancay Fragment (3):
(a)
A FANTASTIC INCA COCA LEAF BAG,
Late
Horizon, South-Central Coast, Inca Imperial Period, c.
1475-1525, also known as a
Ch'uspa or chuspa
(
Quechua for "bag" or "pouch"),
trapezoidal
shape, composed from camelid hair and cotton,
decorated with three geometric vertical bands on both
sides, alternated with solid red bands with striped
borders. Five long red string tassels along the bottom
edge. The trapezoidal bag, 21.5cm. (8-1/2 in.) top w.,
29.0cm. (11.4 in.) bottom w., 21.5cm. l. (8-1/2 in.);
overall tassel l., 21.5cm (8-1/2 in.). See See Quilter,
J.,
Fashioning Nature: Inca Art and Aesthetics
(in
The Civilization of the Incas, New York,
2011), p. 196 and 197 (photo).; Hughes, L.F.,
Weaving Imperial Ideas: Iconography and Ideology of
the Inca Coca Bag (in
Textile: The Journal of
Cloth & Culture, July 2010, Vol. 8 Issue 2),
pp. 152-155 and Figs. 3-5.
Compare British
Museum Accession Number Am1909,1207.212;
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Accession
Numbers 28.171.4 and 1970.246.9.
Some minor light staining, otherwise intact.
See a similar example here
($800 against an estimate $1,500 - $2,000)
It may have been produced under the Inka
m'ita (taxation) system. The Inka required everyone,
including children and the elderly, to weave and to
spin fiber into thread. Most surviving examples of
Inca textiles have been found either on the coast or
frozen at very high altitudes, as the highland climate
affords poor preservation.
(b) An
INCA IMPERIAL TUMPLINE,
Late Horizon, South-Central Coast, Inca Imperial
Period, c. 1475-1525, a woven multicolor tumpline of
camelid and cotton, in red, brown, white and wheat,
having
tightly woven diamond-motif
cords and long woven brown string ties. Cp.
Catalogue of the the Nora and John Wise Collection
(Dallas Museum of Art, 1989), W.2357. L. 230cm.
(90 in.). Some fading and scattered light staining,
otherwise intact.
A tumpline (/tump-lyne/) is a strap attached at
both ends to a sack, backpack, or other luggage and
used to carry the object by placing the strap over
the top of the head. This utilizes the spine rather
than the shoulders as standard backpack straps do.
Tumplines are not intended to be worn over the
forehead, but rather the top of the head just back
from the hairline, pulling straight down in
alignment with the spine. The bearer then leans
forward, allowing the back to help support the load.
Tumplines are often used to transport heavy
loads across uneven terrain such as footpaths and
portages.
(c) A
CHANCAY BORDER-FRAGMENT,
Peru,
Northern
Coast, 12th/14th Century, in brown, red, wheat and
white, having a center band of geometric type
"moon-dogs," bordered with spiraling wave-bands and a
striped lower band. 37.0cm. (14.6 in.) overall l. of the
tapestry, 14.5cm. (5.7 in.) overall w.; mounted on a
cloth backing, 43.5cm. (17 in.) x 21.5cm.
(8.5 in.).
Compare Amano,
M.,
Chancay Textiles From the Collection of Museo Amano,
Lima, Peru, nos. 60, 69 and 71; Carlson, U.,
Andine Ikonografie - Variationen textiler Symbolik,
p. 31 and Fig. 103; Asil, B.M.,
Chancay Style
Textiles (The University of Western Ontario,
2015), p. 147;
Domingo, M.C.,
Archeologia
Andina: Peru, p. 256, nos. 2035 and 2037; The
Metropolitan Museum of Art
, Art of Oceania,
Africa, and the Americas from the Museum of Primitive
Art (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
1969) no. 486 (12th–14th century).
A few
minor imperfections, overall in excellent condition.
A good quality, crisp example!
The lot of 3: Ref# V1647
$450
EX Halpern
Collection > private New York collection. This
group of three textiles appraised by Howard
S. Rose at $1,000-$1,500.
A like new copy of HALI (the premier
periodical devoted to antique
carpet and textile art) - Issue
153 - where the Halpern Collection is cited
- is included with the lot.
A
VALDIVIA STONE PLAQUE,
Ecuador,
late 21st/20th Century B.C., a so-called "stone owl,"
sculpted in bas-relief from the characteristic
greenish-grey sedimentary limestone. Cf. Stothert, K.E.,
Valdivia Stone Figurines (in
The Secret Art
of Pre-Columbian Ecuador), p. 15 and 46, 10;
Zeidler, J.A.,
The Ecuadorian Formative: Valdivia
(in
The Handbook of South American Archaeology),
p. 466; Cevallos, I.C.,
The World of Spirits in
Pre-Columbian Ecuador, pp. 27-33.
Ht.
16.8cm. (6.6 in.); 20.8cm. (8.2 in.) with the
(removable) museum-stand. Intact; good mineral
deposits.
Rare example from the Piquiá
Phase. Ref# V1425
$575
EX Indiana estate > Arte
Xibalba, Florida > New York collection.
These smaller "owl plaques" are recorded in the Early
Formative Valdivia Phase 8, also known as the Piquiá
(Piquigua) Phase. For the dating also see Latin
American Antiquity, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Jun., 1998), p.
173.
An example here
which realized CHF3,500 ~ $3,725 with BP.
A
CERAMIC FEMALE FIGURAL PENDANT.
Ecuador, Valdivia Culture, Formative Period D,
15th Century B.C. Forearms laterally placed below
breasts. Typical "molar tooth" legs and thighs. Traces
of red pigment as usual. Suspension-hole through side of
head. 2.5cm. Cf. Meggers,
Early Formative Period of
Coastal Ecuador: The Valdivia and Machalilla Phases
(Smithsonian, Washington, 1965), pl. 123, l. Also ibid,
pl. 120, h for the rear outline of this "Long Bob"
hairstyle. Also see Baumann, P.,
Valdivia.
Die Entdeckung der ältesten Kultur Amerikas, p.
99;
Américas (OAS, Washington, 1998), Vol. 50,
p. 51 for a discussion of these
pendants, found
in a grave burial urn, and their connection with corn as
a sacred symbol for the inner development of man. For
the existence of these smaller figurines down to 2
centimeters, cf. Stothert, K.E.,
Valdivia Ceramic
Figurines (in
The Secret Art of Pre-Columbian
Ecuador), p. 19. Intact. Ref.#
V1081
$75
A
JAMACOAQUE (Jama-Coaque, Jama Coaque)
CERAMIC
FEMALE FIGURE from the coastal lowlands of
Ecuador's Manabí Province, Jama-Coaque I, c. 240 B.C. /
A.D. 90, depicting a shamanic Andean dancer, an early
standing female depicted with arms to the sides in
praying stance, bare-breasted and wearing a long skirt,
a multistrand necklace with a sizable pendant, and a
head cover, as well as ear and nose ornaments. Cf.
Cevallos, I.C.,
Amuletos En El Ecuador Precolombino,
99. Nicely burnished. Sintered with good mineral
deposits. Mounted on a custom stand (rotatable and also
removable). 8.8cm. (3-½ in.), 10.2cm (4 in.) with
stand. Ref# V1594
$115
EX Calway Dodson estate, Sarasota, FL > Arte
Xibalba, Osprey, Florida > private New York
collection.