Catherine Saunders-Watson, Author at Auction Central News

National American Glass Club Seminar set for Apr. 15-17 in Greenwich

A superb example of Early American glass, this 10-inch-tall tulip vase made by Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., 1845-1865, ex Ken & Sylvia Lyon collection, sold for $13,000 on the hammer at Green Valley Auctions (specialty/catalog division now exclusively maintained under Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates) on May 17, 2008. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

GREENWICH, Conn. – The National American Glass Club will hold its 2010 annual seminar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 15-17, in scenic Greenwich, Connecticut.

The convention will feature a series of lectures presented by such leading experts in the field of American glass. They include: Diane Wright – Yale University glass collection; Joe Heyman – Pairpoint glass; Howard Lockwood – Venetian glass; and Ian Simmonds – early glass cutting.

Associated bus trips will include visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s newly installed glass collection, the New York Historical Society, and the Annual Westchester Glass Club Show and Sale. In addition, a banquet will be held on the Saturday evening.

The Greenwich Hyatt Regency, at 1800 East Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT 06870, is offering special room rates of $95 per room. To make hotel reservations, call 203-637-1234.

Seminar registration is $225 per person. Interested parties may register by e-mailing William Thomas: holpromo@yahoo.com for registration. For additional information, visit the NAGC Web site at www.glassclub.org.

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1872 Tom Thumb presentation cane stars in Kimball Sterling’s Feb. 6 sale

Tom Thumb presentation cane, estimate $15,000-$18,000. Image courtesy Kimball M. Sterling.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Tennessee auction house Kimball M. Sterling seems to come up with an amazing surprise in every one of its auctions. For its Feb. 6 Important Winter Cane Auction, Sterling’s will present a 130-lot selection of high-quality antique canes with an unusual twist. Along with the more traditional Asian ivory, historical and folk art examples, bidders will find many offbeat canes of the erotic, nautical, sword, and gun-theme categories. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

A highlight of the sale is the ivory cane that was given to early circus performer and promoter Nate Salsbury by General Tom Thumb – a dwarf who achieved international fame under the guidance of producer P.T. Barnum. Carved in the shape of a boxing glove, the cane’s silver collar is engraved with the words: “Presented to Nate Salsbury by Tom Thumb 1872.” The cane is fresh to the market and was recently purchased out of a house on the East Coast. Also offered with the cane is a pair of miniature boxing gloves that have always accompanied the cane and which were purchased from the same home. The presale estimate on the lot is $15,000-$18,000.

Another unique auction entry is the 1891 cane with an inscription on the handle reading “Wallace R. Stemsen – Buffalo Bill’s Wild West – 1891.” It is expected to make $7,000-$9,000 at auction.

A circa-1861 Russian Mori memento cane has a large ivory handle and a thick, full-bark Malacca shaft with high ridge and plain silver collar struck with Russian hallmarks. The engraved handle’s macabre theme depicts two varani (monitor-type lizards) burrowing in a pile of decaying human skulls and bones. The lots is estimated at $5,000-$7,000.

Another 19th-century production is the Dumontier French percussion gun cane in very fine condition, with 90% bluing on the gun. It is in working order and all original, with an ivory handle, silver collars, a Malacca shaft and metal ferrule. Rare and sought after, it could fetch $1,500-$2,500 on auction day.

Made around 1880, a sword cane features a finely carved burl dog head with two-color glass eyes, a coin-silver collar, bamboo shaft and a 9½-inch fancy blade with locking mechanism. Estimate: $1,200-$1,400.

For information on any item in this sale, contact Kimball M. Sterling Inc. at 423-928-1471.

Visit the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view Kimball M. Sterling Inc.’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Sword cane with carved dog's head, circa 1880, estimate $1,200-$1,400. Image courtesy Kimball M. Sterling. — Sword cane with carved dog’s head, circa 1880, estimate $1,200-$1,400. Image courtesy Kimball M. Sterling.

Presentation cane to Wallace R. Stemsen, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, 1891, estimate $7,000-$9,000. Image courtesy Kimball M. Sterling. — Presentation cane to Wallace R. Stemsen, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, 1891, estimate $7,000-$9,000. Image courtesy Kimball M. Sterling.

Dumontier gun cane, estimate $1,500-$2,500. Image courtesy Kimball M. Sterling.

Mori Russian memento cane, estimate $5,000-$7,000. Image courtesy Kimball M. Sterling.

Archaelogist: Stone mound in Alabama likely natural, not Native American

This mound in Oxford, Ala., which many believe was built by Native Americans more than 1,000 years ago, is the subject of a dispute with developers who want to level it to use as fill for the construction of a Sam's Club. Image copyright Ginger Ann Brook, used by permission.

OXFORD, Ala. (AP) – A University of Alabama archaeologist has contradicted a report he signed last year claiming a stone mound in Oxford was likely made by Indians about 1,000 years ago.

The Anniston Star reports that Robert Clouse told the Oxford city council Tuesday that erosion and other natural forces likely created the mound. Clouse heads the Office of Archaeological Research at the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama Museums.

Clouse was answering questions about the mound behind the Oxford Exchange and the apparent removal of another mound at the historic Davis Farm site.

Clouse last year signed a report on the potential archaeological significance of the mound. Protests erupted last year when the city tried to remove the hill under the mound to use as fill dirt to build a Sam’s Club store nearby.

On July 10, 2009, Dan Whisenhunt filed this story for the Associated Press:

Goodbye Indian mounds, hello Sam’s Club

OXFORD, Ala. (AP) A stone mound on a hill behind the Oxford Exchange created by American Indians 1,500 years ago will soon disappear.

And whether Oxford’s taxpayers wanted it or not, they paid for its destruction.

Workers hired by the city’s Commercial Development Authority are using the dirt from the hill as fill for a new Sam’s Club. The project has angered American Indians who, along with a Jacksonville State University archaeology professor, say the site could contain human remains.

Oxford Mayor Leon Smith and City Project Manager Fred Denney say it was used to send smoke signals.

The city’s CDA uses taxpayer money and assets to lure commercial businesses. The $2.6 million no-bid CDA contract for preparing the Sam’s site went to Oxford-based Taylor Corp. That money came from the sale of city property to Georgia-based developers Abernathy and Timberlake and from additional money provided by the city.

In Alabama, CDAs are exempt from bid laws, meaning contracts can go to whichever company the board chooses. Oxford’s CDA board and its actions have multiple connections to Smith’s political fundraising:

– At least three board members or their employers have contributed to his political campaigns.

– Taylor Corp., under the ownership of Tommy Taylor, has received thousands of dollars in city contracts for non-CDA work. Taylor donated $1,000 to Smith in 2004 and $1,000 in 2008.

– Abernathy and Timberlake donated $1,000 to Smith’s re-election campaign in 2004.

– Montgomery-based Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood donated $500 to Smith in 2004. The CDA gave the company engineering contracts for the exchange. Denney said the CDA paid the company $45,000 for engineering work, part of which paid for a University of Alabama study on the American Indian site.

The Star has so far been unable to obtain a copy of the UA study, but a letter from the Alabama Historical Commission’s deputy state historic preservation officer indicated the university did not think the site was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The state Historic Preservation Commission did think the site was eligible for the National Register.

Denney said the report’s authors found little at the site.

Smith has said there is nothing wrong with the connections between himself and the CDA. He has described Taylor as a, “good friend.”

Attempts to reach representatives for Taylor Corp. and Abernathy and Timberlake on Monday were unsuccessful.

The Birmingham office of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood declined comment.

CDA members contacted by The Star declined comment, referring questions to board chairman Dwight Rice. Attempts to reach Rice on Monday also were unsuccessful.

Chervis Isom, a Birmingham attorney representing Abernathy and Timberlake, said the company isn’t involved with the hill or the fill dirt.

“If the dirt were contaminated in some way we’d certainly have an interest in that,” Isom said. “Where the CDA got the dirt I’m not sure. We don’t have any control over that.”

He added he does not think there is any problem with the dirt.

Denney said workers will remove about one-third of the hill and cover it with grass. The city eventually will develop commercial business on what remains of the hill, he said.

A September 2008 proposal by Taylor Corp. describes the demolition in vague terms.

“This item includes undercutting two building pad footprints …” the report reads. “The City has agreed to let us spoil the undercut material on their property across the new bridge.”

Denney said the line in the proposal refers to the hill.

“The agreement was we’d furnish the soil,” Denney said. “The city would furnish them a place to get it.”

The City Council transferred the property containing the hill to the CDA in February. Councilwoman June Land Reaves, who voted against the transfer, said she did not understand the hill property was a part of it.

“I never heard any discussion about dirt being taken from the hillside or a reason why that was being done, but it seems to me like a lot of cities capitalize on the history they have … but (we do not seem) to do that,” she said.

Council President Chris Spurlin said it’s too late for the City Council to intervene at the site.

He said he hated the bad publicity, but said there is no proof the site holds human remains.

“The CDA has the authority,” Spurlin said. “They’re trying to do what’s best for the city. I don’t see no reason in buying fill dirt from someone when we have that hill available.”

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Information from: The Anniston Star, http://www.annistonstar.com/

AP-CS-01-27-10 0852EST

It’s game on for Olympic collectibles ahead of Vancouver

NEW YORK (AP) – Forget limited-edition gold bottles of Coca-Cola and pricey replicas of the Olympic torch. Driving the merchandise machine ahead of the Vancouver Games is a $10 pair of cozy, red mittens helping to raise money for host athletes.

Organizers outfitted thousands of torchbearers with the knitted mitts that sport the Olympic rings and a white maple leaf in each palm. More than 1.5 million pairs have sold since October, enough for at least 1 in 34 Canadians.

“They’ve really taken the nation by storm,” said Dennis Kim, director of licensing and merchandising for the Vancouver Organizing Committee, which is using about $4 from each sale to support the country’s quest for first-time gold on home turf.

With less than a month to go before the Winter Games’ opening ceremony, it is game on in all areas of Olympic merchandising, from “Future Olympian” sippy cups to vintage apparel.

Are people feeling spendy in these still-shaky economic times?

“It’s anyone’s guess at this point,” said Sally Parrott, senior marketing director at Aritzia, a chain of high-end boutiques. “I feel that people are starting to bounce back.”

Aritzia has partnered with Park Life for a laid-back, retro and graphic street line of fashions and accessories. The Vancouver logos and those of previous games were used on a set of white socks, for instance, and there is a fur-lined jacket with Olympic patches in charcoal.

At ralphlauren.com, buyers can personalize Olympic polos with their own names. A top seller for Nike is a red, beanie-style knit hat with a pompom.

Among collectibles, Coca-Cola is offering the shiny gold bottle of Coke with the Vancouver logo. Luxury jeweler Birks designed a sleek, limited edition desktop replica of the torch in a Canadian Alderwood box.

Birks used the Inuit-inspired emblem of the games, a graphic interpretation of an inukshuk, on sterling silver pendants, keychains, cufflinks and bracelets. Organizers say the human-like form with open arms is a symbol of welcome.

For ski, snowboard and ice hockey fans, cowbells await as the traditional way to cheer in Vancouver. Organizers have designed a retro, brass cowbell in large and small sizes with a hand strap to keep them from flying.

For fans left behind but looking to throw an Olympic party in front of their huge-screen TVs, there is Mario & Sonic at the Winter Games for Wii. Selections to compete at home include four-person bobsleigh and wand-driven ice hockey. Be sure to ask guests to bring along their own wands, or stock up yourself.

License holders, sponsors and others tied to the games embrace the honorary Olympic sport of trading and selling lapel pins, pins and more pins. Just about every symbol, special interest or participant is represented in pins, with an official club online at vancouver2010.com.

Looming large in retail pins are the official Olympic mascots: Quatchi, Miga, Sumi and a muskrat pal named Mukmuk. Suggested retail prices range from nearly $7 to $12.00, with accessories that include carry bags and albums.

Pins, to the hard-core, are all about the hunt. They also comprise about 18 percent of the organizers’ overall licensing business for the Vancouver Games.

Al Falcao, 70, of Markham near Toronto, has been collecting Olympic pins for 22 years.

“If you can buy it, I’m not interested,” he said. “When I see a pin, I set my mind on ‘Hey, I gotta get that.’ Once I got it, I’m on to the next one.”

Falcao has been asked by Coca-Cola to serve as informal “pin ambassador” during the games. He caught the bug after Calgary in 1988 and has been to every Olympics since 1992, promoting the hobby at alspins.com.

Generally, he said, the scarcer the pin, the more he wants it. That includes pins created by security organizations for internal use, like those of the U.S. Secret Service. He also covets pins with media logos and special issues kept under lock and key by sponsors before the games.

Even the humble Olympic mitten became scarce with stores selling out before Christmas, but there is now plenty to go around. The mittens fill huge bins at the flagship Olympic Superstore inside the Bay, run by the Hudson’s Bay Co. in downtown Vancouver.

“It’s a very accessible way for people to join in,” said Valerie Arntzen, 57, as she picked up five pairs there.

AP-CS-01-26-10 2218EST

Black Forest dog grouping collars $30,590 bid at Auctions Neapolitan

NAPLES, Fla. – There was plenty of bark and one winning “bite” at Auctions Neapolitan’s Jan. 23 standing-room-only sale as an exceptional 39-inch-wide Black Forest carved tableau of a St. Bernard dog and her three playful pups claimed top-lot honors at $30,590. Attributed to Swiss artist Walter Mader, the circa-1900 carving featured realistic feathering to the dogs’ coats, hand-colored limbs and glass eyes. The substantial 33-lb. artwork had been estimated at $6,000-$8,000.

“There was tremendous interest in that particular piece,” said Kathleen Pica, owner of Auctions Neapolitan. “There’s a sizable contingent of collectors worldwide for Black Forest pieces, and many of them were bidding, not only on the floor but also on the phones and via the Internet. What was unusual was that the bidding stayed strong throughout – there was no lull or hesitation once the lot was announced.”

The winning bidder, a major collector of Black Forest art for the past 30 years, participated by phone from his home in Colorado. “This was an incredibly rare piece, in beautiful condition,” the buyer remarked after the sale. “There’s a larger one in the museum in Brienz, Switzerland – the town where 2,000 carvers lived at the turn of the century – and there are two others in separate private collections in Paris. The two owners in Paris have stated that they will die with their pieces, so those examples are completely off the market.”

The buyer added: “Walter Mader’s only subjects were dogs – he didn’t carve anything else. Even though he never signed his work, it’s unmistakable. When you see the expression on the dogs’ faces and the flow of the carving, you know exactly who carved it.”

The word spread quickly about the St. Bernard grouping in Auctions Neapolitan’s sale, the buyer said. “My uncle called me from the Miami Beach Antique Show, which was taking place around the same time as the auction, and said there were many dealers aware of it and talking about it. You’d be amazed how many calls I got from fellow collectors, asking my opinion about its authenticity. I feel that even at the price I paid, I got a very good buy.”

Kathleen Pica said the tableau’s consignor, a Naples-area man, was “delighted with the result,” adding that he was also the consignor of the top lot in Auctions Neapolitan’s December sale – a C.E. Dallin (1861-1944) bronze of an Indian scout on horseback that sold for $25,500.

“I think the fact that we kept the auction estimate low helped the dogs achieve their excellent price,” Pica said. “I have found that when an auction house puts too high an estimate on an item, it scares off some of the bidders. They assume there’s a high reserve on it, and they don’t even bother.”

The vast majority of antiques, fine and decorative art offered by Auctions Neapolitan comes from Naples-area homes and estates. “Less than two percent of what we offer comes from dealers, and that has been the case since I first began conducting auctions in Naples over a decade ago,” said Pica.

Fine paintings were among the other highlights in the Jan. 25 sale. An Anne Packard (Massachusetts, b. 1934-) oil-on-board depiction of saltbox houses made $1,380; while a Josephine Osnaghi (1861-1939) oil-on-panel still life surpassed its estimate to settle at $1,667.50. Nineteenth-century French artist Maurice Rousseau’s pastoral oil painting titled The Sheepfold achieved $1,142.50.

Asian art also attracted attention. A petite Qing Dynasty carved celadon jade and camphorwood table screen estimated at $400-$600 easily garnered $1,495; and a circa-1780 Japanese Imari bowl decorated with two stylized rabbits ended its bidding run at $825. An antique Anglo-Indian box decorated with porcupine quills, ivory, bone and horn nearly tripled its high estimate to close at $862.50.

One-fourth of the auction lots sold to online bidders through LiveAuctioneers.com. “The Internet participation was very strong,” said Pica. “Postsale statistics indicated there were 43,000 hits to our online catalog for this sale, with 10,000 page views on the first day it published.” The top-selling Internet lot was a 15¾-inch (dia.) Lalique Cote d’Or charger adorned with three nymphs surrounded by grape vines. A rare, early version with the Lalique signature on verso, it sold for $1,782.50.

The 400-lot sale totaled $86,646. All prices quoted in this article reflect a 15% buyer’s premium.

To contact Auctions Neapolitan, call 239-262-7333 or email sales@auctionsn.com. Visit the company’s Web site at www.auctionsneapolitan.com.

View the fully illustrated Jan. 23 auction catalog with prices realized online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view Auctions Neapolitan’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Rarer than any breed at Westminster, a circa-1900, 39-inch-wide Black Forest carved tableau of a St. Bernard dog and pups took the blue ribbon at Auctions Neapolitan’s Jan. 23 sale when it sold for $30,590 against an estimate of $6,000-$8,000.

A 19th-century Anglo-Indian wood box decorated with porcupine quills, ivory, bone and horn closed at $862.50.

19th-century French artist Maurice Rousseau’s The Sheepfold, oil on canvas, 13 inches by 18 inches, sold for $1,142.50.

This Chinese Qing Dynasty (late 19th-early 20th century) carved jade and camphorwood screen measures a diminutive 3 inches by 2½ inches. It realized an auction price of $1,495.

A fine Lalique Cote d’Or charger of clear and frosted glass, decorated with three nude nymphs known as Trois Figurines et Raisins, sold to an Internet bidder for $1,782.50.

A profusely detailed oil-on-panel still life by Continental artist Josephine Osnaghi (1861-1939), measuring 8 inches by 10¼ inches, exceeded its estimate to sell for $1,667.50.

Massachusetts artist Anne Packard (b. 1933-), who is known for her seascapes, painted this depiction of saltbox houses on a sunny day. It sold at auction for $1,380.

This circa-1780 Imari bowl, 8 inches in diameter, is decorated in underglaze red and blue with gilded highlights. Its central interior panel features two stylized rabbits. Selling price: $825.

Two da Vinci flying machines land at Nebraska museum

ASHLAND, Neb. (AP) – A traveling exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s amazing machines has landed at the Strategic Air & Space Museum near Ashland.

The exhibition is titled Leonardo da Vinci Machine in Motion. It runs through May 9.

It was created by scientists and crafts workers in Florence, Italy.

Da Vinci was born in 1452 in a small town near Florence. He became a scientist, inventor, musician, architect, engineer and artist. His most famous painting is “Mona Lisa.”

The full-scale machines are made mostly of wood and came from designs in da Vinci’s notebooks. They were constructed with tools and materials common in the 15th century.

Among da Vinci’s ideas were two different flying machines and a wooden tanklike vehicle that carried six cannons.

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On the Net:

Strategic Air & Space Museum: http://www.strategicairandspace.com/

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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com

AP-CS-01-26-10 0615EST

Historical society digitizing Civil War collection

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is putting its collection of Civil War memorabilia online.

Historical society officials say they will digitize thousands of letters, photographs and documents about the Civil War because of the upcoming 150th anniversary of the war.

Archivist Cathleen Miller says they’ve already stumbled upon interesting finds they didn’t know were in the collection, including documents that detail the lead-up to the Battle of Wounded Knee.

Historical society workers were setting up a digital camera to take pictures of the documents on Monday.

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Information from: KYW-AM, http://www.kyw1060.com

AP-ES-01-26-10 0920EST

New Orleans a welcoming site for ACNA’s 2010 convention

Mike and Angie Becker, organizers of the 2010 ACNA Convention in New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS – Members of the Antiques and Collectibles National Association enjoyed three days of networking, seminars, field trips and fine New Orleans cuisine at their Jan. 10-13 convention in the French Quarter’s Hotel Monteleone. After the keynote address officially opening the convention, participants had the opportunity to attend their choice of 14 different seminars conducted at different times over the next three days.

Subjects and presenters included Marcia Brown, Costume Jewelry I & II; Fred and Gail Taylor, Antique Furniture Identification; DiAnna Tindell, Art Restoration and Frame Restoration; Bill and Carol Kearney and Christine Saltzman, Auctions and Estate Sales; Paul Boyd, Glass Repair; Barbara Mauzy, American Kitchen; Beth and Dan Walker, Silver Restoration; Debbie and Randy Coe, Going Green with Antiques; Jim Cottrell of M.S. Rau Antiques, Buying Art; and Kyle Husfloen, Ceramics.

Attendees were also treated to a private guided tour of M.S. Rau Antiques, widely regarded as one of the world’s finest retail antiques establishments, led by M.S. Rau Vice President Jim Cottrell. Among other things, members visiting the Rau gallery were able to view the $6.5 million monumental painting Alma Parens (The Motherland) by French master William Bouguereau (French 1825-1905); entire galleries of 18th- and 19th-century European and English furniture and art; and a circa-1830 pie-shape Regency extension table patented by Robert Jupe, one of only a handful known to exist.

The next afternoon was devoted entirely to a self-guided tour of the antiques district along Magazine Street. The shops were expecting the visit, and members were cordially greeted all along the route. Some shops even had refreshments for the visitors. Stops along the way included high-end European and American antique shops, Mid-century modern shops, antique malls and eateries, some of which offered discounts to the visitors.

The overall impression among attendees at the end of the convention was “If you weren’t here, you really missed out.” Typical comments included, “All the classes I attended were very good. Everyone was very knowledgeable on their subject,” “It was a very positive experience for me,” and “Thank you for a great opportunity. I enjoyed it.” All agreed that they left New Orleans better educated than when they arrived. Also, many new friendships were forged.

The ACNA offers a variety of services for antiques and collectibles dealers, mall owners, shop owners, show promoters and individual collectors including liability, inventory and building insurance, credit card processing, health insurance and collection insurance, travel discounts, shipping and supply discounts, special-interest vehicle insurance and a quarterly industry newsletter. For more information call 800-287-7127, visit the Web site at www.acna.us or email Angie Becker at angie@acna.us.

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Last call: Tavern on the Green announces Jan. 29-30 tag sale

NEW YORK – Tavern on the Green is now closed. But for two days – this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29 and 30, 2010 – its doors will open for a massive, one-time-only tag sale in which thousands of items from the legendary restaurant will be sold.

Souvenirs and toys from the gift shop, china, glassware and beautiful tablecloths, fabulous holiday decorations, floral displays, collectible books and many more items will be available to purchase at a fixed price.

The Tavern on the Green tag sale will operate on Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tavern on the Green is located at 67th Street and Central Park West.

All items are available on a cash-and-carry basis only.

Additional information is available at www.guernseys.com.

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Cyprus police bust large antiquities theft ring

Cyprus is home to many ancient archaeological treasures. Shown here is the Temple to Apollon, outside the city of Limassol.

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) – Authorities have busted a smuggling ring in Cyprus and recovered dozens of ancient artifacts it planned to sell for euro11 million (15.5 million), including a miniature gold coffin, silver coins and terra-cotta urns, police said Monday.

In what is believed to be the largest antiquities theft case of its kind in the Mediterranean island’s history, police seized the artifacts dating back thousands of years from homes, storage sheds and vehicles where they were being hidden.

The artifacts include copper and silver coins, terra-cotta urns and clay and limestone figurines believed to date from the Copper Age to around 400 B.C., Cyprus Antiquities Curator Maria Hadjicosti told The Associated Press.

Ten Cypriots were arrested during the raids over the weekend, and authorities were searching for another five suspects, including a Syrian man, police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said. The suspects face charges of illegally possessing and trading in antiquities.

Police said the smugglers had planned to sell the artifacts in Cyprus, but would not identify the buyer. Authorities also said they were investigating where the artifacts had been obtained.

Katsounotos said this was Cyprus’ largest antiquities smuggling case in terms of the amount of recovered artifacts, their archaeological value and the number of arrests.

Most of the artifacts are urns primarily found around the southern coastal towns of Limassol and Paphos, Hadjicosti said. Some of the coins could date to Hellenistic and Roman times.

The curator said some of the recovered artifacts, including the gold coffin and other gold objects, don’t appear to be Cypriot, and more study was needed to determine their precise origins.

Communications Minister Nikos Nikolaides said the bust was conducted with the help of Greek authorities, but he wouldn’t provide details. He also said some of the antiquities may have been dug up from archaeological sites in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north of the island.

Excavations on Cyprus have uncovered settlements dating back to around 9000 B.C. Cyprus then saw successive waves of colonization, including Phoenicians, Mycenaean Greeks, Romans and, in the Middle Ages, Franks and Venetians. The island was conquered by Ottoman Turks in 1571 and became part of the British Empire in 1878 before winning independence in 1960.

Violence between Cyprus’ majority Greek community and the Turkish community broke out shortly after, and the island has been divided along ethnic lines since a Turkish invasion in 1974, prompted by a failed coup aimed at union with Greece.

AP-CS-01-25-10 1046EST

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