London’s Apollo Art Auctions presents Timeless Treasures: Ancient Art and Coins, Aug. 27

Wyatt Barrett

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“At this curated auction we invite collectors to experience an exquisite array of artifacts from diverse cultures and epochs, ranging from ancient China through the Medieval period. Additionally, we are very pleased to offer wearable ancient jewelry and a fine collection of early Roman and Greek coins,” said Apollo Art Auctions’ director, Dr. Ivan Bonchev.
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Greek bronze Chalcidian helmet, estimated at £12,000-£20,000, or $15,275-$25,460 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Western Asiatic bronze helmet and torc, estimated at £6,000-£12,000, or $7,640-$15,275 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Merovingian iron sword with gold and garnets, estimated at £12,000-£18,000, or $15,275-$22,915 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Roman bronze statuette of Iphigenia, estimated at £12,000-£20,000, or $15,275-$25,460 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Greek Apulian red-figure footed plate, estimated at £6,000-£8,000, or $7,640-$10,185 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Hellenistic gold bracelet with garnets and filigree, estimated at £4,500-£6,500, or $5,730-$8,275 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Roman carnelian intaglio, estimated at £2,000-£3,000, or $2,545-$3,820 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Valentinianus solidus, estimated at £1,200-£2,000, or $1,530-$2,545 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Chinese Shang dynasty bronze jue vessel, estimated at £4,000-£6,000, or $7,640-$11,455 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Chinese Tang dynasty terracotta camel, estimated at £6,000-£9,000, or $7,640-$11,455 at Apollo Art Auctions.
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Many forms of historical heavy metal will weigh in, starting with a Greek Chalcidian bronze helmet dating to circa 500-300 B.C. Its distinctive design incorporates such features as a domed crown, a prominent front medial ridge, a contoured double-curve above the brow, a teardrop nose guard, and hinged crescentic cheek guards. By the time of the Peloponnesian War (434-402 B.C.), the Chalcidian helmet was the most widely distributed head protection seen in Greek military ranks. The auction example is of a form also seen in the collections of several premier institutions, including the British Museum, and in several scholarly books and publications. Its line of provenance includes a central London gallery, a European collection, and the F. Breydel collection (Belgium, 1970s). The estimate is £12,000-£20,000, or $15,275-$25,460.

Pre-dating the Chalcidian helmet by several centuries is a circa 800-700 B.C. Western Asiatic (Mesopotamia, Assyria) conical hammered sheet bronze helmet and torc that draws comparison to armor seen in a chariot relief at the Louvre. The Paris museum’s artwork depicts Assyrian warriors from the North-Palace of Ashurbanipal wearing just such a helmet. The auction lot is accompanied by a report written by the noted lecturer Russel Scott, and its line of provenance includes a London private collector and successive old European collections. The rare helmet comes to auction with an estimate of £6,000-£12,000, or $7,640-$15,275.

At the time of the fall of the Roman Empire, other cultures began to evolve and eventually prosper. The Merovingians (476-750 A.D.) were one such group and they are traditionally regarded as what’s called the “first race” of the kings of France. A Merovingian iron sword featured in the sale was formed by the forge-welding process and displays a long hilt at the midsection, decorated with a gold circular plaque set with garnets. This showy edged weapon comes from a European collection and, from the 1970s to 1990s, was held in the collection of R. Bogaert of Belgium. It carries an estimate of £12,000-£18,000, or $15,275-$22,915.

The auction’s opening lot is a circa 1st-2nd century A.D. Roman bronze statuette of the goddess Iphigenia in a dramatic pose on one knee, with a bare torso and her hand raised to the brow. In Greek mythology, Iphigenia was the daughter of King Agamemnon, who sacrificed her during the Trojan War. The statuette stands 145mm/5.71in high and has a long history of provenance, with its most recent ownership attributed to a Central London gallery. It is estimated at £12,000-£20,000, or $15,275-$25,460.

Another especially beautiful lot is a circa 350-300 B.C. Greek Apulian red-figure footed plate created from high-quality clay with a lustrous black glaze. It depicts a winged Eros kneeling with a phiale in his right hand and a situla in his left hand. Measuring 8.5in in diameter, the plate compares to an example sold at Bonhams London in 2005. Formerly the property of a Central London art gallery and acquired on the Dutch market prior to that, it appears in the auction with an estimate of £6,000-£8,000, or $7,640-$10,185.

Collectors will be spoiled for choice with the many wearable ancient jewelry options that include rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and pendants. Certainly one of the stars of the group is an elegant circa-4th century B.C. Hellenistic openwork gold bracelet of D-shape form. Its decorative program includes masterful filigree work adorned by a fiery central cabochon garnet and additional teardrop-shape garnets. The bracelet, weighing 40g/1.3oz, can be worn with the assurance that its design includes a secure closure. Its estimate is £4,500-£6,500, or $5,730-$8,275.

Important Roman symbolism is captured in the circa-3rd-4th century A.D. gold and carnelian intaglio ring, which has a stone incised with the image of a hand delicately holding ears of grain and poppy seed heads. It serves as a visual ode to the abundance of nature and the vital role of agriculture in sustaining human life. Similar to an example in the Michael C. Carlos Museum (Emory University, Atlanta), it is estimated at £2,000-£3,000, or $2,545-$3,820.

More than 80 lots of ancient Roman and Greek coins will cross the auction block, with opportunities for all collectors, whether advanced or at the intermediate or novice levels. Naturally, every numismatist aspires to own the fine gold coins produced with the images of emperors such as Justinian, Heraclius or Constantine the Great. The August 27 auction includes the Valentinianus solidus struck in Antioch, 364-367 A.D. To one side is the bust of Valentinian I wearing a pearl diadem and to the other he stands with the figure of Victory. In very fine condition, it is estimated at £1,200-£2,000, or $1,530-$2,545.

An abundance of Asian antiquities will be presented, some dating to the Bronze Age. A circa-11th century B.C. Chinese (Late Shang dynasty) bronze jue, or ritual wine vessel, with its splayed tripod legs, guttered spout and taotie masks with bulging eyes, is similar to an example held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is estimated at £6,000-£9,000, or $7,640-$11,450.

A piece not to be missed by the many collectors of Tang dynasty tomb animals is the circa 618-907 A.D. terracotta camel sculpted with its head raised and its mouth open as though braying. Standing 26in high, the auction camel could trot to a finish within an estimate of £6,000-£9,000, or $7,640-$11,455.
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London’s Apollo Art Auctions presents Timeless Treasures: Ancient Art and Coins, Aug. 27

Wyatt Barrett

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