ANCIENT COINS & ANTIQUITIES

LESBOS: MYTILENE. Silver Obol. c. 440-400 B.C. Hd. of Apollo r., wearing taenia. Rv. MYT[I] at r., downwards; hd. of calf r.: the whole within incuse square. 8mm., 0.55gm. BMC 5. HGC 6, 1039. About Fine, some crystallization. Much clearer "in hand." Ref# V1299 $22.50

CARIA: KASOLABA. c. 410–390 B.C. AR Hemiobol. Hd. of ram r. Rv. Hd. of young male r. 7mm., 0.35gm. Konuk, Kasolaba 10. Rare. VF, pleasantly toned. Ref# V1400 $32.50

See H.A. Troxell, Carians in Miniature, p. 254 for an explanation of this Carian lettering at the reverse bottom.

Greek Bronze Phalera from Troas (the Troad, the Plain of Troy), 5th/4th Cent. B.C., green patina, round with convex center and central knob, interior with integral bail-strap for attachment. Collected in the 1960s. Ref# V1167 $32.50

The falera (from the Latin phalerae, pl., from the Greek φάλαρα, pl.) was originally a side plate of the helmet to fix the connections. The term falera extended to a metal decorative disc which was used to decorate armor, horse-harnesses, or as mere decoration on military-valor decorations at various times including Celtic, Etruscan and Roman.

Phalerae were affixed to helmets and armor, as well as horse-harnesses.

A RARE EAST GREEK LYDION (Λύδιον), Lydia, second/third quarter of the 6th Century B.C., probably from Sardis. Ointment vase with the characteristic finely levigated and micaceous pale orange clay with darker brownish-orange glaze, wide “trumpet” mouth, squat globular body, and high conical foot, hollowed out underneath. Ht. 8.6cm., outer rim dia. 7.2cm. See Wrigley, S., The Lydion: Revealing Connectivity across the Mediterranean in the Sixth Century B.C. (Sydney, 2011), p. 93; Greenewalt, C.H. Jr., Lydian Pottery, p. 111, Fig. 4, 96, 33 and Lydian Vases from Western Asia Minor, pl. 2, 3; CVA Geneva, Musee d’Art et d’Histoire 2, p. 71 and pl. 87, 7; CVA Deutschland 6 München, Museum Antiker Kleinkunst 2, pl. 303, 4. Strong mineral deposits and root marks extant. The glaze slightly rubbed and discolored in places. No repairs. Rare. Ref# V1559 $225

The fabric is typically Sardian (cf. Nicholas D. Cahill, Lydian Pottery, p. 9 and Wrigley, ibid., p. 93).

These ceramic forms - known as 'Lydia' in the plural - are believed to have been produced to hold the prized Lydian perfume-cream (called bakkaris or baccharis). The name Baccharis comes from the Greek name Bakkaris for the plant with fragrant roots and the pilularis: the sticky globs on its flower buds.

Greenewalt discussed the possible origins of the shape: he considered Boehlau's suggestion of an Egyptian origin unlikely given the chronological divide, and the similarity to Villanovan olle as a coincidence. He saw the vase as being of Lydian origin, and the distinctive shape, usually undecorated, an easily identifiable advertisement for the cosmetic contents. The cosmetic may have been exported around the Mediterranean in bulk, and then packaged in locally made containers, with a gradual decline in production towards the late sixth century B.C. He followed with a discussion about the ancient literary sources which mentioned bakkaris, which concluded with the comment it is "a likely possibility" that lydia were the containers for the unguent. The wide-mouthed shape of the lydion, its small size, and the contexts in which it has been found suggest that the vessel was made to contain a perfumed unguent, perhaps the βάκκαρις (bakkaris) which Athenaeus described when discussing the luxurious ointments associated with the Lydians in Greek literature. Much of the literary evidence for the Lydian ointment called bakkaris comes from Athenaeus, who, though writing in the late second century A.D., preserves valuable fragments of text from earlier authors. One of these was Xenophanes of Kolophon, who, when deriding the dissolute lifestyle of his countrymen in the mid-sixth century B.C., claimed that they had learnt useless luxuries such as the wearing of purple robes, gold-bedecked hair and drenching themselves in the scent of artfully prepared unguents from the Lydians. Athenaeus (XV.44) himself describes the Sardians as being addicted to unguents in the course of a discussion about the type of ointment called bakkaris, and he quotes Magnes from his play, the Lydians (XV.41): A man should bathe, and then with βάκκαρις Anoint himself. And Ion of Chios, in his Omphale: ’tis better to know the use of μύρα (myrrh) And βάκκαρις, and Sardian ornaments of the skin, Than the manner of life in Pelop's isle. (Ath. XV.41). Athenaeus commented of Ion of Chios: “when he speaks of Sardian ornaments, he means to include perfumes; since the Lydians were very notorious for their luxury” (XV.41).
“I then my nose with bakkaris anointed, Redolent of crocus.” -Hipponax of Ephesos, sixth century B.C. (Ath.15.41).

An ITALIC ENGRAVED GEM of a SEA-GOAT (Goat-Fish), 2nd Century B.C., intaglio in cornelian (carnelian), depicting the mythological sea creature, Capricornus, facing l. 10mm. x 11mm. x 3mm. Cf. Osborne Duffield, Engraved Gems, pl. XXVI, 29. Wear marks. Chipping on the edge. Ref# V1569 $175

EX Bertolami Fine Art, London and Rome > Private New York collection

The goat-fish combination was originally a Babylonian god-symbol and its appearance here was probably due to the Chaldean astrologers who must have done a thriving business in Italy, since they became of sufficient consequence to be expelled from the city by a special law in 138 B. C. The great popularity of Capricornus at a later period is explained by its being the birth sign of Augustus.

An ITALIC ENGRAVED GEM of an ANTELOPE, 2nd/1st Century B.C., intaglio in sardonyx, prancing l. on ground-line. Mirror polished. 12mm. x 13mm. x 2mm. See Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, No. 01.7574; Ruseva-Slokoska, L., Roman Jewellery (Sofia, 1991), No. 209. Slight wear marks. Ref# V1568 $475

EX Bertolami Fine Art, London and Rome > Private New York collection

An ITALIC ENGRAVED GEM of an OSTRICH, 2nd/1st Century B.C., intaglio in milky white and light yellow banded agate, depicted stg. on ground-line, facing l., hd. lowered towards the ground. 9mm. x 10mm. x 3mm. Rare subject. Cf. Maxwell Sommerville, Engraved Gems: Their History and an Elaborate View of Their Place in Art, Catalogue Raisonné of Engraved Gems, Greek and Roman Cameos, p. 678, Case K, 163 (White agate - Ostrich). Slight chipping at edge. Ref# V1570 $195

EX Bertolami Fine Art, London and Rome > Private New York collection

ROMAN BRONZE MEDICAL-BOX SLIDING-LID and 3 INSTRUMENTS, c. A.D. 1st Century, plate with a rectangular engraved design with concentric rectangles on one side consisting of lines forming numerous rectangles continuously smaller, forming a thin rectangle in the center. Lid 12.8cm. x 8.0cm. Instruments 16.2cm., 20.5cm., 25.9cm. Ref# V1169 $175

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 Reserved

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.

Hemitartemorion