MONTROSE, Calif. – A large bronze figure depicting the Greek god Harpokrates from the Late Period (circa 664-332 B.C.), a Greek Gnathian skyphos from the fourth century B.C., and a Mayan polychrome jar from the Ulua Valley of Honduras (circa 400-800 A.D.) are expected top lots in Ancient Resource Auctions’ sale on Saturday, Nov. 16. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.
The company’s Auction #80, titled a Holiday Antiquities Discovery Sale, features over 300 lots of authentic items from Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Near Eastern and Pre-Columbian cultures. Also offered will be other ethnographic and antique items, as well as a small selection of antiques and ancient-style decorator pieces.
“With holiday season approaching, I can’t think of a nicer and more thoughtful gift than an authentic ancient object from centuries past,” said Gabriel Vandervort, the owner of Ancient Resource Auctions. “The catalog is packed with a wide variety of items, many at low prices. Whether a stocking stuffer or a main gift, there’s something for everybody.”
The handsome Greek Gnathian skyphos (Apulia, fourth century B.C.) has a body decorated in a vine motif and features a low pedestal foot and two horizontal loop handles (above). It measures 2¾ inches tall by 4¾ inches wide. A skyphos is a deep, cup-shaped vessel with a pair of horizontal handles to the rim, having deeply vertical sides. It should fetch $300-$400.
The bronze figure of Harpokrates – the Greek god of silence, secrets and confidentiality in the Hellenistic tradition – depicts him wearing a Hem Hem crown and a side-lock, his right finger pressed to his lips. Standing 6½ inches on an antique wooden base, the Late Period bronze figure (below) is an attractive example with nice detail. It is expected to sell for $700-$1,000.
The Mayan polychrome jar from the Ulua Valley of Honduras is another excellent example, with an estimate of $800-$1,200. The 6¼-inch tall piece represents a shell-form on a flared base, decorated with deeply carved step pyramids and glyphic symbols. Each side of the chamber has a painted solar symbol and the elongated neck is decorated with a rim band of jaguar heads.
An important Old Assyrian merchant’s weight (circa 1950-1700 B.C.) not quite 2 inches long, is expected to command $600-$800. The elongated ovoid weight of smooth diorite granite is rare in this large size and has significant historical value in the early trade between Mesopotamia and Anatolia (modern Turkey) at the beginning of the second millennium B.C. It’s probably part of a larger set.
A Near Eastern bronze dagger (circa 1200-1000 B.C.), with a blade and hilt cast as one piece, 14¼ inches in length, has an estimate of $500-$800. The hilt is flanged with curved lappets over the guard, which originally held the inlays in place. The blade is long and narrow, with a shallow midrib. The dagger is well-preserved with attractive patination and would display nicely.
An Egyptian alabaster cosmetic container from the Late Period (circa 664-343 B.C.), in the shape of a stretched oval, 3 2/3 inches tall, should sell for $450-$600. The piece, having nice patination, has a rounded base. The sides are tapered toward the mouth, which possesses a round profile, and there’s a small lug handle positioned to each side. The container is neatly hollowed inside.
A beautiful Egyptian beaded necklace with carnelian stone embellishments from the Late Period (circa 664-30 B.C.), 22 inches long, from the collection of musician Ruth Deyo, should bring $400-$500. The faience disk and tubular beads are in shades of blue and are strung with polished carnelian beads of about the same age. The beads are nicely strung on a modern cord and clasp.
A Greek terra-cotta figure of a seated woman, dating to the second or third century B.C., is estimated to finish at $350-$500. The woman is shown wearing a long gown with open chest and polos, her features nicely modeled and her hands on the sides of her knees. The 3¾-inch-tall figure is molded in a dark red-brown ware, with remnants of pigment below mineral deposits.
The online auction will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific time/noon Eastern.
For more information contact Ancient Resource Auctions at 818-425-9633 or ancientresourceauctions@yahoo.com.
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