2nd century AD Roman marble head of Medusa, a superb copy of a Greek original. Ancient Resource image.
LOS ANGELES – Ancient Resource Auctions is proud to present an exciting array of ancient art in its July 28th auction, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. The auction contains more than 260 lots of well-provenanced goods representing a range of cultures, from the exceptionally rare Babylonian through Egyptian Greek and Roman, to all of the diverse peoples of the New World.
The market for antiquities continues to soar as better pieces enter the realm of tangible assets. Many view antiquities as a viable hedge against inflation and the declining dollar. Provenance is important in this category, and the bulk of Ancient Resource’s July 28 selection comes from select US estates and English collections assembled at the end of the Grand Tour period. Of particular note is a group of cylinder and stamp seals from the personal collection of Edgar Banks. Elements of the Banks collection are found in many major American museum’s. His life story formed the basis of the Indiana Jones series.
Auction highlights include:
Lot 72 – A 2nd century AD Roman marble head of Medusa. This wonderful piece is a copy of a Greek original. From a larger composition, the head’s features are elegantly rendered, the hair styled back and terminating in serpent heads, a few of them attempting to bite the hero’s hand that grasps them. This is an extremely rare piece that one would expect to find only in a first-class museum.
Lot 94 – A beautiful Eastern Mediterranean terracotta relief, Mycenaean, circa 1200-1000 BC. This is a magnificent piece of art. It depicts a charioteer drawn by a pair of horses, a hound below and a hare and bird ahead of them, a thunderbolt to the far right. Behind, a sphinx sits facing right within a geometric border. This is an example of the finest Greek pottery.
Lot13 – A very large Etrusco-Corinthian alabastron, 575 – 550 BC. With a 9-inch-tall piniform body, this is one of the largest Ancient Resource’s owner Gabriel Vandervort has ever seen. It has an everted rim, below which is attached a pinched handle with a string hole. The vessel is decorated with two figural zones around the body, each with red and black bands between, the top with two birds and the lower containing a bird and two panthers; each with incised details and rosettes divided into four sections. Around the neck is a tongue pattern with plain rim. The quality is such that it is most likely the work of a named painter, the discovery of which would significantly raise the value.
“Bidders from over 125 countries have all ready signed up for this auction,” said Vandervort. “We expect a very successful outcome.”
For additional information on any item in the auction call 818-425-9633 or e-mail gabriel@ancientresource.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
2nd century AD Roman marble head of Medusa, a superb copy of a Greek original. Ancient Resource image.