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* De Morgan (Evelyn, 1855-1919). Boreas, a study for Boreas and the Fallen Leaves, circa 1910-1914, coloured chalks and pastel on buff paper, head and shoulders portrait, half-profile turned to the left, his lips pursed and arms outstretched, visible sheet size 29.8 x 22 cm (11 3/4 x 8 3/4 ins), framed and glazed (41 x 31.5 cm)QTY: (1)NOTE:Provenance: Private Collection, UK, thence by descent.The present work is a study for the figure of the ancient Greek god Boreas in Boreas and the Fallen Leaves, held by the De Morgan Foundation (Object Number P EDM 0044), which shows Boreas swirling round a large gnarled tree, with the leaves depicted as maidens with golden hair being blown to the ground. Boreas is the ancient Greek god of the north wind, and the most important of the four wind gods. He was winged and had two faces: one to see where he was going and one to see where he had come from.
* Pichler (Giovanni, 1734-1791 ). A collection of 130 plaster cameo intaglios presented in two wood cases, Rome, early 19th century, 130 white plaster intaglios or impronte miniature impressions in relief of portraits, ancient gems, cameos, coins and medals, each bordered with pale yellow paper, manuscript number and edged in gilt, various sizes, generally between 2 and 5 cm (a few with some slight dust-soling), small label at head of each frame with 'Opere di Gio. Pichler' in manuscript, mounted on lining paper in two contemporary glazed wood frames (frames rubbed, one lacking part of top of frame to the reverse), frame size 35 x 22.5 cmQTY: (2)NOTE:A fine collection of early nineteenth-century plaster intaglios, probably by Luigi Pichler (1773-1854) after gem designs by his half-brother Giovanni Pichler (1734-1791) and father Anton Pichler (1697-1779).The cameos depict a range of subjects including classical mythology, Greek and Roman gods, emperors, sports, art history and sculptures, and were highly popular among travellers, especially from England on the Grand Tour during the early part of the nineteenth-century.The subjects present include a discus-thrower, the Three Graces, St. George and the Dragon, Apollo, a charioteer among others.
Ancient Corinthian Greek pottery aryballos flask, ca. 6th century BCE. Of spherical form with a narrow neck and flaring rim. Decorated along the sides with linked circles and flowers. These flasks often contained perfumes or oils and are depicted on vase paintings as being used by athletes during bathing.Height: 3 in x 2 3/4 in x depth: 2 3/4 in.Condition: Some discoloration to the pot throughout. Several chips throughout, mainly along the upper rim and lower edge.
Ancient Mycenaean Greek pottery stirrup-spout jar, ca. 1425-1100 BCE. With twin strap handles flanking the false neck and a spout emerging from the shoulder. Decorated along the sides with circular and striped motifs. They were often used to transport oils during the Late Bronze Age.Height: 5 1/2 in x width: 5 in x depth: 5 in.Condition: Wear throughout associated with age and use. The spout is broken. There are several large chips to the footrim. No other major areas of restoration or cracks.
The First and Second War group of seven awarded to Commander R. H. D. Lane, Royal Navy, a veteran of Dunkirk who commanded the destroyer Wryneck in the evacuation of Greece, and was among those lost when she was sunk by enemy aircraft in April 1941 - he was last seen sliding off a raft, badly wounded and covered in oil 1914-15 Star (S. Lt. R. H. D. Lane, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. R. H. D. Lane. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1937, mounted as worn, good very fine and better (7) £500-£700 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Robert Henry Douglas Lane, who was appointed a Midshipman in September 1913, was serving aboard the battleship H.M.S. Africa on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. Transferring to the Hindustan as an Acting Sub. Lieutenant in November 1915, another ship of the 3rd Battle Squadron, he afterwards completed his wartime service in destroyers, namely the Nonpareil and the Patriot, latterly as First Lieutenant. Remaining a regular between the wars, Lane gained advancement to Lieutenant-Commander in October 1925 and was serving as Naval Provost Marshal in Hong Kong on the renewal of hostilities. Returning to the U.K. in early 1940, he was given command of the ancient freighter Moyle, one of three blockships ordered to Dunkirk on the last night of the evacuation on 3-4 June 1940. Lane and his crew rammed her into the west pier and scuttled her, prior to becoming among the very last to be evacuated from the battered port. He was subsequently among those men mentioned in despatches in The London Gazette of 10 October 1940, for ‘good services when carrying out blocking operations in enemy occupied ports.’ In July 1940, Lane was appointed to the command of the destroyer Wryneck, in which ship he served with distinction in the Mediterranean, and more particularly during the evacuation of Greece. Having assisted in the withdrawal of troops from Megara on 25 July 1941, and in rescuing survivors from the lighter A.19, Lane was ordered to take the Wryneck on a similar mission two nights later. On this occasion, however, ‘tragedy began to pile on tragedy’, for Wryneck and her consorts departed Navplion at too late an hour to avoid enemy attention in the first hours of daylight. And at 7 a.m. 30 enemy dive bombers commenced a devastating attack on the Wryneck and the Diamond (another destroyer), in addition to the Dutch Slamat, the latter vessel being laden with evacuated troops. First to be sunk was the Slamat, the two destroyers moving in to pick up her survivors. Soon afterwards, and now with several hundred troops aboard, the Wryneck and Diamond similarly fell victim to a succession of heavy bombing attacks: ‘Wryneck, meanwhile, had been equally unfortunate. Taken unawares in the same way as Diamond, a bomb had struck the foc’s’le near ‘A’ gun, killing or wounding everyone at the gun, on the bridge and in the sick bay, shattering the stokers’ mess deck and killing numbers of stokers and soldiers. Another fell down the engine room hatch bursting all the steam pipes, and a third bomb struck aft setting an ammunition locker on fire. With the ship moving at about 18 knots, with a heavy growing list to port, an E.R.A. managed to open the safety valves; then, with others, he got a whaler away which was practically undamaged, and released the rafts before abandoning ship ...’ But, as confirmed in Greek Tragedy, worse was to follow in the water: ‘Where the destroyers had gone down a huge patch of dark brown oil spread like a pall over the blue water of the Gulf of Nauplia. And in it floated the torn corpses of the dead, wrecked and upturned boats, balks of timber, lifebelts, sodden loaves of bread, broken oars, rolled hammocks and shattered pieces of furniture. In it swam those who were still alive and those who were soon to die by drowning. Hundreds of men coated in oil. Men crying for help, coughing and retching to free their bursting lungs of the bitter crude oil that choked them. Men screaming in terror. Men praying to live. Men longing for death to release them from the agony of burning oil seeping into their wounds. Men clutching at chunks of wreckage that slipped from their grasp. Men of high courage, who without a thought for themselves, fought to save their wounded shipmates ... There were a number of rafts and Carley floats drifting in that growing patch of oil, and few of them carried survivors. On one of them was Commander Lane of the Wryneck, with two of his R.N.V.R. Sub. Lieutenants, Jackson and Griffiths, and his Midshipman, Peck. Able Seaman Taylor helped to haul them on to the raft. They were all badly wounded and coated in oil. For a little while they clung to the raft. As it rolled in the rising sea, they slipped off it, too weak to hold on any longer ...’ When at length a handful of Wryneck’s men were eventually picked up, the senior surviving rating was asked to complete a report. He ended it thus: ‘The men of the Wryneck wish me to add that we have lost a fine ship, fine officers and a magnificent Captain.’
Forty-seven volumes of 'World of Art', including 'Modern Sculpture', 'English Architecture', 'Turner', 'Picasso', 'Greek Sculpture', 'Venetian Painting', 'Art and Myth in Ancient Greece', 'Women, Art and Society', 'Japanese Art', 'British Painting', 'Indian Art', 'Abstract Expressionism', 'The Expressionists', etc.
An Ancient Greek terracotta two-handled dish, circa 5th/4th century BC. Condition - good restored condition Condition reportExpensively restored by the vendor some years ago to a high standard although evidence of restored section is clear. Surface very dry; one handle with glue-repaired section. THIS LOT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR SHIPPING IN-HOUSE.
Bible, Latin. Biblia Habes in hoc libro... et librum de interpretamentis Hebraicorum, Aramaeorum, Graecorumque nominum, sacris in literis contentorum, first edition of Pagninus' translation, collation: a-c8 d6 A-2X8 2Y4 a-l8 m10 n-v8 x6, lacking 2B1, double column, title in red and black within ornate figurative woodcut border, woodcut initials, early ink marginalia, head of title shaved not affecting text, 2A2&3 with tears affecting text, g1 gutter slightly cracked, a few leaves with marginal loss or short tears, some neat repairs to corners, some water-staining to margins, light browning and occasional spotting, later ink notes to endpapers, later vellum-backed boards, double morocco spine label, "Ancient Bible" inscribed in ink on upper cover, covers soiled, spine darkened, upper joint cracked at foot, rubbed, 4to, Lyon, Antoine du Ry for Franciscus Turcus, Dominicus Bertus of Lucca and Jacobus de Giuntis, 1528. *** One of the most literal translations ever prepared, this was the first ever printing of the Bible to divide the text into numbered verses. It was also the first appearance of a Latin Bible with the Apocrypha printed as a separate section. The first Latin version of the Bible since Jerome's to be translated from the original Hebrew and Greek, Sanctes Pagninus (1466--1541) of Lucca worked on the text between 1493 and 1520. The manuscript was approved by Pope Leo X, who agreed to publish it at his own expense, but his death in December 1521 caused the project to be abandoned, and Pagninus went to Avignon and finally Lyon, where he obtained the patronage of Franciscus Turcus and Dominicus Bertus of Lucca, and Jacobus de Giuntis, a Florentine publisher, who furnished the money to have it published.
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975)Tiryns signed and dated 'michael ayrton 60' (upper right)oil on board23 x 33cm (9 1/16 x 13in).Footnotes:ProvenanceWith Bear Lane Gallery, Oxford, 3 April 1962, where acquired by Mrs DunlopWith Wenlock Fine Art, ShropshireThe present lot is one of a series of 24 oil studies of the Greek landscape which were exhibited at the Bear Lane Gallery in 1962. Tiryns, in Argolis in the Peloponnese, is one of the great Mycenaean archaeological sites, an ancient hillfort described in Homer as 'mighty-walled Tiryns' and associated in legend with Hercules.We are grateful to Dr Justine Hopkins for compiling this catalogue entry.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Ca. 450 - 400 BC A Greek pottery jug adorned with glossy, almost iridescent, black glaze. The vessel has a bulbous body, a rounded shoulder, concave neck, and flared rim. An arched handle connects neck to shoulder. Decorated pottery painted in black was a remarkable innovation of the ancient Greeks. For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Accession Number: 41.162.244. Size: 95mm x 80mm; Weight: 120g Provenance: Private UK collection, acquired on the Dutch art market; previously acquired on the Belgian art market.
Ca. 400 - 300 BC A Greek marble head of a youth, expertly sculpted with fine details to appear stylised. Capped with a thick coiffure, the ancient figure gazes in front from generously-lidded eyes above a broad nose and plump lips. A pair of stylised carved ears flank his face. For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 14.130.11. Size: 110mm x 85mm; Weight: 975g Provenance: Private UK collection; Ex. M. H. collection, Kensington, acquired on the UK art market in the 1970s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.
Ca. AD 900 - 1100 An amazing processional patent cross with flat sections and arms that terminate in a pair of circular knobs. The cross has an incised crucifix at the centre. Christ is depicted with a circular halo surrounding his head. There is also a script in Greek letters on the top arm of the cross. Replete with a rich green and russet-hued patina, this is a beautiful example from ancient Byzantium. Size: 118mm x 80mm; Weight: 130g Provenance: Private UK collection, acquired on the Belgian art market.
Ca. 1000 - 800 BC A Greek Hoplite bronze spearhead with a triangular-shaped blade and a pronounced midrib running its entire length. The blade tapers to a sharp point, and the shoulders of the spearhead extend downwards to form wings. The spearhead contains a tapering tang designed for attachment. For similar see: Christie's Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armours, Part II, Lot 15. Size: 555mm x 55mm; Weight: 460g Provenance: Private UK collection; From an old London collection formed in the 1990s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.
Ca. 350 - 280 BC A Gnathia black-glazed pottery skyphos with a cup-shaped form, and two horizontal handles symmetrically affixed to opposite sides. Side “A” features a captivating grapevine motif, intricately painted with white, red, and yellow pigments. The main scene on this side features a seated man, on a throne embellished with volutes, holding a large patera in his right hand and a circular wreath in his left. Side “B”, in contrast, features a simpler design comprising a horizontal line of grapevines. A skyphos is a distinctive type of ancient Greek drinking vessel, primarily utilised for serving wine. For similar see: The Brooklyn Museum, Accession Number 22.31. Size: 490mm x 385mm; Weight: 5.07kg Provenance: Private London collection, acquired on the Dutch art market; previously acquired on the German art market; E. Hoppe, Frankfurt, 1982. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.
Ca. 100 BC - AD 200 An incredible Roman inlaid gold ring depicting Alexander the Great. The plain gold hoop is flat on the interior, and slightly rounded on the exterior, expanding towards the flat oval bezel. The bezel houses a glass gem. There is a depiction in gold of Alexander the Great’s head, facing to the right, within the gem. Rings like this, featuring inlaid silhouette intaglios are quite rare. It is possible that they were produced by a single workshop, based on their distinctive style. For similar see: F. Marshall, Catalogue of the Finger Rings, Greek, Etruscan & Roman, in the Departments of Antiquities, The British Museum, no.21; Christie's, Live Auction 21909, Antiquities, Lot. 57. Size: D:18.34mm / US: 8 1/4 / UK: Q; Weight: 12g Provenance: Property of a professional London art expert; obtained from an old British collection formed in the 1980s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece comes with an authentication report by Sami Fortune, ancient jewellery specialist.
Ca. AD 900 - 1300 A medieval religius bronze signer ring featuring a round hoop connected to a circular bezel. The bezel is adorned with cross framed in a crown of dots; inscription in ancient greek around it. Byzantine Christian rings featured religious symbols and were thought to provide physical and spiritual protection. They also served as markers of social status and identity, with signet rings bearing personal seals or emblems. For similar see: El Legado de Hefesto, n. 594. Size: D:18.75mm / US: 8 3/4 / UK: R; Weight: 3.8g Provenance: Property of London gallery, acquired on the Austrian art market.
Ca. 700 - 500 BC A pair of matching Greek bronze greaves. Both greaves feature simple decorations including vertical lines and spirals defining the calf muscles and multiple pierced holes around the edges to secure leather straps. A beautiful green patina covers these iconic objects. For similar see: Christie's Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armours, Part II, Lot. 62. Size: 440-450mm x 100-100mm; Weight: 2.53kg Provenance: Private London collection, acquired on the European art market pre 2000. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.
Ca. 1000 - 800 BC A well-preserved Greek Hoplite bronze dagger with a triangular section blade. The blade has a sharp point, with a flanged hilt and a flaring pommel. The guard is decorated with a circular motif, possibly a magical symbol to protect the owner of the sword. For similar see: Christie's Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armours, Part I, Lot 24. Size: 380mm x 45mm; Weight: 305g Provenance: Private UK collection; From an old London collection formed in the 1990s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.
An Ancient Greek Attic Blackware Kylix And a Footed Bowl An Ancient Greek Attic Blackware Kylix, together with a blackware footed bowl of the same period bearing painted decoration (latter af).The first 24cm wide, 8cm high; the second 13cm diameter, 7.4cm highPrivate Collection, North-West of England.The first with small surface losses and some notable scratches but intact; the second has been badly broken into numerous pieces and reassembled, some elements including some of the decoration likely redone.
An Ancient Greek Daunian Pottery Kyathos An Ancient Greek Daunian Pottery Kyathos, circa 6th-4th century BCE, with "strap" handle and bearing painted linear decoration including to base.15cm long, 11cm highPrivate Collection, North-West of England.Some losses to decoration, general wear, images available.
An Ancient Greek Messapian Pottery Kantharos Vessel And a Roman Redware Terracotta Bowl An Ancient Greek Messapian Pottery Kantharos Vessel, circa 400 B.C.E., painted with bands and further repeated detail, together with a Roman Redware terracotta dish, circa 300-400 A.D., likely North Africa, bearing incised detail to centre.The first 16.5cm wide, 12cm high; the second 17cm diameterPrivate Collection, North-West of England.The kantharos with a chip and vertical crack terminating in a gap between flared rim and body, there is a rough join all around the meeting of these two sections, further scuffs and wear throughout; dish with two chips to rim, further chip to exterior rim, further general wear; images available.
Drei antike Tierskulpturen aus Bronze, griechisch und römisch, 7. Jhdt. v. - 3. Jhdt. n. Chr. 1) Bronze in Gestalt eines Vogels, griechisch-geometrisch, 7. Jhdt. v. Chr., Höhe 5,5 cm. 2) Votivfigur eines Stiers, griechisch-archaisch, 6. - frühes 5. Jhdt. v. Chr. Unterer Teil der Vorderbeine abgebrochen. Länge 8 cm. 3) Fragment eines römischen Wagenbeschlages mit Darstellung eines zurückblickenden Löwen. 2. - 3. Jhdt. n. Chr. Länge 9 cm.Provenienz: Münchner Privatsammlung, erworben Anfang des Jahrtausends im süddeutschen Kunsthandel. Three ancient Greek and Roman bronze animal sculptures, 7th century B.C. - 3rd century A.D. Three ancient Greek and Roman bronze animal sculptures, 7th century B.C. - 3rd century A.D.1) Bronze in Gestalt eines Vogels, griechisch-geometrisch, 7. Jhdt. v. Chr., Höhe 5,5 cm. 2) Votivfigur eines Stiers, griechisch-archaisch, 6. - frühes 5. Jhdt. v. Chr. Unterer Teil der Vorderbeine abgebrochen. Länge 8 cm. 3) Fragment eines römischen Wagenbeschlages mit Darstellung eines zurückblickenden Löwen. 2. - 3. Jhdt. n. Chr. Länge 9 cm.Provenance: Münchner Privatsammlung, erworben Anfang des Jahrtausends im süddeutschen Kunsthandel.Condition: III +
A Greek bronze Corinthian helmet Circa 600-525 B.C.24.5cm highFootnotes:Provenance:with Archea Ancient Art, Amsterdam.Kuizenga collection, the Netherlands, acquired from the above 19th November 1995.The style of the above helmet belongs to the Myros type, from mainland Greece. Another similar helmet was found near the west stadium wall at Olympia in 1940, now in the Olympia Archaeological Museum, inv. no. B2192; see R. Hixenbaugh, Ancient Greek Helmets, New York, 2019, p. 384, no. C329, and for examples of the Myros type see ibid pp.379-388, figs. C291-C361.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A Greek bronze Corinthian helmet Circa 6th Century B.C.22cm highFootnotes:Provenance:Kuizenga collection, the Netherlands, acquired from Terra Design, Xanten, Germany, 1979.From 550 B.C. onwards design modifications were made to Corinthian helmets, such as the above lot, that helped to reduce injuries from concussion and piercing blows: the nose guard became longer, the eye holes smaller and the cheek pieces longer and closer together. These alterations were combined with a stronger more domed helmet. The features gave greater protection, however at the expense of sensory perception. This style is found in the helmets of the lotus group which were characterised by swooping eyebrows, as seen on the above helmet, and floral motifs. For Lotus Group helmets distinguished by horn-like eyebrows cf. R. Hixenbaugh, Ancient Greek Helmets, New York, 2019, p. 199 and pp. 408-412 fig. C526-C556.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A Greek bronze Chalcidian helmet Circa 5th-4th Century B.C.30cm high incl. cheekpiecesFootnotes:Provenance:Private collection, Germany.Kuizenga collection, the Netherlands, acquired in Germany 25th June 1978.The Chalcidian helmet was less restrictive than its Corinthian and Illyrian predecessors and was designed for a more tactical and fast-moving style of warfare. Chalcidian helmets were lighter and included the stronger carinated ridge, with better fitting curved and hinged cheekpieces, along with openings for the ears. For a discussion of changes in warfare from the slow-moving phalanxes of the 6th Century to a more mobile army in the 5th-4th Centuries, making use of skirmishing techniques, cavalry and archers, see R. Hixenbaugh, Ancient Greek Helmets: A Complete Guide and Catalog, New York, 2019, p.140.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A Greek bronze Corinthian helmet Circa 6th Century B.C.the dome restored, 22.5cm high Footnotes:Provenance:Kuizenga collection, the Netherlands, acquired in Cologne 23rd May 1997.For the type see R. Hixenbaugh, Ancient Greek Helmets: A Complete Guide and Catalog, New York, 2019, pp. 61-62 for a discussion on the evolution of Corinthian helmets and pp. 362-386 for more helmets of the same construction.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A large Cycladic marble kandila Early Cycladic I, circa 3000-2800 B.C.26cm highFootnotes:Provenance:Eli Borowski (1913-2003) collection, Switzerland.Alexander Iolas (1907-87) collection, prior to 1973-1982.Ophiuchus Collection, New York, 1982-2010.David and Corina Silich collection, Switzerland, since 2010.Exhibited:The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, 10 November 1987-10 January 1988.The Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, 5 March-15 May 1988.The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, California, 25 June-25 September 1988.On loan:The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1992-2010.Published:P. Getz-Preziozi, Early Cycladic Art in North American Collections, Washington, 1987, p. 277, no. 101, figs. 101a-d.I. Love, Ophiuchus Collection, Florence, 1989, p. 10, no. 1.P. Getz-Gentle, Stone Vessels of the Cyclades in the Early Bronze Age, Penn State University, 1996, p. 249, no. B29.The sizes of kandiles can vary considerably, from approximately 7cm-37cm in height, of which the above collared vase is a sizeable example. The lack of metal tools made hollowing out the interiors of these vases particularly time-consuming and as a result the vessels remain thick-walled. Despite such challenges, the symmetry and pleasing form indicate the artistic skill of the sculptors. The name 'kandila' refers to Greek church lamps which are similar in shape although it is unlikely that ancient kandiles were ever used in this way. For a discussion on kandiles see L. Fitton, Cycladic Art, The British Museum, 1989, p. 27-29.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Eight Egyptian faience rosette inlays New Kingdom, 19th-20th Dynasty, circa 1279-1152 B.C.6.8cm - 2.5cm diam. (8)Footnotes:Provenance:Walter Thomas Gaze Cooper (1895-1981) collection; and thence by descent to the present owner.Walter Gaze Cooper was a prolific composer and musician, writing his first serious piece, a piano concerto, in 1923. He studied at the Royal College of Music and his many compositions included piano concertos, eight symphonies and an opera. He was a piano and theory teacher throughout his life, teaching at the Midland Conservatoire of Music.His other great passion in life was collecting Egyptian, Chinese and Greek art and antiquities. His collection was impressive, indeed, the archaeologist, Sir Mortimer Wheeler often spoke of a rare artefact saying that 'there are only two of its kind, one in the British Museum and the other in the Gaze Cooper collection'.Such rosette tiles and ornaments as the present lot were used to decorate Ramesside palaces. Rosettes were found at the Delta site of Tell el-Yahudiya, where a small palace of Ramesses III was discovered: cf. F. Dunn Friedman (ed.), Gifts of the Nile. Ancient Egyptian Faience, Providence, 1998, pp. 87 and 197, nos 55-56. There are similar examples in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from the private apartments of the palace of Ramesses II, Qantir (Piramesse), Eastern Delta, acc. nos. 35.1.133 and 35.1.127.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A VERY RARE ORMOLU-MOUNTED WHITE MARBLE AND DERBY BISCUIT PORCELAIN MANTEL TIMEPIECEBenjamin Vulliamy, London, dated 1786The impressive group depicting a porcelain putto stepping toward the dial set into a fluted marble column on a heavy ormolu plinth signed and dated Vulliamy LONDON 1786, the stepped marble base mounted with a gilt armillary sphere, porcelain urn (with lift-off cover), books, and an array of mathematical instruments. The 4 inch white enamel dial with bead-cast gilt bezel framing the gold dotted minute track and gold Roman hour, with serpentine hands. The single gut fusee movement mounted within the column and protected by two sliding brass covers, the tall rectangular plates united by five turned pillars, deadbeat escapement to a typical lozenge-section wooden rod pendulum terminating in a heavy brass-faced bob. The backplate signed Vulliamy, London in a foliate border. 37cms (14.5ins) high. Footnotes:This clock is one of a distinctive range of clocks in white marble cases with figures in Derby biscuit porcelain that were produced in London by the firm of Vulliamy & Son in the late eighteenth century, and are now regarded as outstanding examples of British neo-classicism. They were first created in the early 1780s by Benjamin Vulliamy (1747-1811), still only a junior partner in the family firm but already the King's Clockmaker in his own right, in a determined attempt to challenge the predominance of imported French ornamental clocks in the houses of wealthy and fashionable Britons. His justification was patriotic as well as commercial, since Britain and France were then at war, following France's intervention on the side of the colonists in the American war of Independence. [1]Following the end of the war in 1783 and improved commercial relations between the two countries, Vulliamy was concerned that the market he had identified for what he described as his 'new branch of English clocks' would disappear, but in fact his project continued to be successful, leading in time to the firm making a wide range of ornamental goods to furnish the houses of the wealthy. This was due to Vulliamy's ability to select and get the best performance from a network of independent artists, suppliers and craftspeople, and also to his personal talents as a designer, sensitive to the changing tastes of his wealthy and very demanding customers, who included the King, the Prince of Wales, and other members of Britain's social elite. Vulliamy's sculptural clocks followed French fashion in their neo-classical appearance, but while contemporary French clocks used mainly bronze and ormolu for their cases and figures, Vulliamy decided to use white marble with allegorical figures in white biscuit porcelain, presumably in imitation of the Parian marble of ancient Greek and Roman statues. Vulliamy designed the figures himself, using his extensive library of works on classical art and architecture as a source [2], and had them modelled in London by a number of young sculptors who were recent Gold Medallists of the Royal Academy Schools. The models were then sent to William Duesbury's Derby Porcelain Manufactury to be made in biscuit porcelain which, given the nature of soft-paste porcelain and Vulliamy's demanding requirements, often proved to be a difficult process, particularly for his larger figures. In line with the morally uplifting tendencies of neo-classicism, these clocks were intended to convey an allegorical message through the identity and position of the figures and suitable attributes in ormolu, sometimes assisted with a classical quotation. If the meaning is not always obvious to modern eyes, it was evidently important to contemporary observers. The German traveller Sophie von La Roche, who visited Vulliamy's shop in 1786 (the date of this clock), noted that 'French artists have certainly created some fine things --- in clocks --- but I never yet saw anything so noble, simple and instructive from their hands. All the images are Greek figures in biscuit porcelain and Mr Vulliamy's physiognomy and gentle modest person hide a store of Greek ideas and moral allegory.' [3]The design of the current clock, with the clock set in a marble column accompanied by a single 'boy' and a campana-shaped vase (also in Derby biscuit), was one of the earliest used by Vulliamy. Previous to the emergence of this clock, just four of this design were known to survive, with different ormolu attributes around the column to vary the allegory. One of these clocks is dated 1783, another dated 1787 (Sotheby's 17.5.22 lot 47), and two have serial numbers dating from the late 1780s - Nos. 175 and 189 (at Chatsworth probably since purchase). (The numbering of Vulliamy's clocks began earlier but the number was not engraved on the clocks until c.1788.) It is not known who first bought the present clock, and it predates the surviving Vulliamy manufacturing records. However, it is possible to suggest the main people involved in its manufacture, since the firm continued to use the same suppliers for many years. It is probable that the high-quality movement, which has elongated plates to fit the marble column and Vulliamy's usual half-deadbeat escapement with heavy pendulum bob and ebony rod, was made by James Bullock, a clockmaker who worked at various addresses in the parish of St. Andrew Holborn up to his death in 1801. The marble column and base would have been supplied by J. Day of Brewers Row, Westminster, who was working with the Vulliamys by 1785. The biscuit porcelain figure was modelled by John Deare (1759-1798), a Royal Academy gold medallist in 1780, and as already noted, was made at the Derby factory, which also supplied the covered vase. [4]1. For a detailed study of these clocks with Derby figures based on the surviving correspondence between Vulliamy and the factory, see A.P. Ledger and Roger Smith (eds.), Benjamin Vulliamy and the Derby Porcelain Manufactory 1784-1795, Derby Museum and Art Gallery (2007). Also T. Clifford, 'Vulliamy Clocks & British Sculpture', Apollo, vol. 132 (Oct 1990), pp. 226-237; and 'New evidence concerning Vulliamy clocks and Duesbury porcelain', Derby Porcelain International Society, Journal 2, (1991), pp. 35-52.2. For Vulliamy's books, see 'Benjamin Vulliamy's Library: A Collection of Neo-Classical Design Sources.' The Burlington Magazine, vol 141, no 1155 (June 1999) pp. 328-337.3. C. Williams (trans.), Sophie in London. The diary of Sophie von La Roche, (1933), pp. 100-1. 4. The work of Deare and the other modellers employed on Vulliamy's sculptural clocks is discussed in Ledger and Smith. (see Note 1). It also notes that the earliest surviving Derby Day Books (1786-94) show that Vulliamy bought 12 biscuit 'boys' in 1786 (p. 110). There is no record of him buying any campana vases in those years, so he had presumably bought several earlier, when one was used on a similar clock in 1783 (p. 115).With thanks to Roger Smith.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Poetae Christiani Veteres.: Vol. I & II (in 1 vol.; ohne vol. III). Venedig, Aldus, 1501[-1502]. 4°. I: 233 unnum. Bl. (Lagenzählung: [*8], ff-gg8, hh10, ii-xx8, yy10, hh-ii8, kk1-5, a10+8, b8+8, c10+8, d8+4; ohne die drei weissen Blätter k6 und d5/6); II: 294 unnum. Bl. (Lagenzählung: [*8], a-c8, d4, e-i8, k10, aa-dd8, ee6, ff-gg8, hh6, A-F8, G4, H-I8, K4, aaaaaa8+8, bbbbßß10+8, ??cccc8+8, dddddd8+10, eeeeee4+4); am Kopf zeitgenössische Foliation 1-510. Anker-Devise auf Blatt [*8]. Brauner italienischer Kalblederband d.Z. auf drei flachen Bünden, Rücken und Deckel mit schöner Blindprägung, die Deckel zusätzlich mit etwas Goldprägung, sehr schön gepunzter Schnitt. (Ohne die vier Schliessen; kleine Wurmlöcher; Kapitale ausgerissen; berieben und fleckig). Adams P-1685. Ahmanson-Murphy Coll. I, 31 und 46. Renouard, Annales Alde, S. 24ff.: "Collection infiniment rare et précieuse . le peu d'exemplaires qui restent, sont presque tous plus ou moins incomplets". Ein gutes Exemplar der ersten beiden Bände der Sammlung von Texten frühchristlicher Autoren, von denen eine ganze Anzahl hier erstmals im Druck erscheint - eines der ambitiösesten Druckerzeugnisse von Aldus. Es liegen Schriften vor von Prudentius, Sedulius, Iuvencus, Prosper Aquitanus und zahlreichen anderen. Aldus wollte mit seiner Ausgabe christliche Autoren populär machen, sie vor allem als Lehrstoff an die Schulen und Universitäten bringen, wie er in seinen beiden Vorreden darlegt. "The large-scale edition of the Christian Latin Poets seems to have been turned into a publisher's nightmare by this kind of enthusiasm. The first volume and the first half of the second were in print in January 1501, but the dedication of the second to Daniele Clari carries the date June 1502. Undated works in Greek and Latin, with the quires differently marked, are added at the end of both volumes. The third volume was delayed until June 1504. The most probable explanation is that Aldus had originally planned a fairly modest edition of the shorter works of Sedulius, Juvencus, Arator and Prudentius which would have been contained in a single volume and now stand in the earliest dated section. Then word got around, scholarly enthusiasm took over, and new material started to flow in: first, a more complete manuscript of Prudentius from England, which upset the balance of the volume; then the Greek works of John of Damascus, Cosmas and Epiphanius wehich were in due course translated, edited, and compounded with the first volume. This of course meant rounding off the second volume, so Piercandido Decembrio was deputed to edit and translate the Homerocentra and the two volumes were apparantly published together some eighteenth months late . It was appropriate that the second volume of this confused series was the first to carry Aldus' famous cipher of the dolphin and anchor, the symbol of the ancient proverb 'Hasten slowly' which Aldus has declared his motto as early as 1499 and seems to have expounded regularly to his friends. In 1502, it was in fact, a very neat apparaisal of his position. He had achieved much." (Martin Lowry, The World of Aldus Manutius, 1979, S. 148f.). Sehr qualitätvoller, aber restaurationsbedürftiger zeitgenössischer Venezianer Einband mit schöner Blind- und Goldprägung und speziell schön gepunztem Goldschnitt. In den breiten weissen Rändern einige wenige, zeitgenössische handschriftliche Einträge. Auf Blatt aaa1, hh1 und dem zweitletzten Blatt stark verblasster zeitgenössischer wiederholter Besitzeintrag "Iste liber est Monasterii SS. Servatoris Venetiae". Bei vier Blätter ist der untere weisse Rand weggeschnitten und durch einen weissen Papierstreifen alt ersetzt ([*2], a1, A1 und [1]). Ohne fliegende Vorsatzblätter. Feuchtigkeitsspuren im Unterrand der Blätter vor und nach den gelöschten Besitzeinträgen. Kleine Wurmloch im weissen Rand in einigen Lagen. Nur sehr geringfügig stockfleckig. Auf dem Innendeckel Besitzvermerk Per Hierta mit Datum 1907.
Ancient Athens.- Pittakis (Kyriakos) L'Ancienne Athènes, ou la Description des Antiquités d'Athènes et de ses environs, first edition, with blank A4, with 2 folding letterpress leaves of inscriptions at end (often only one), contemporary ink inscription to head of title (slightly trimmed), foxing, contemporary half calf, rather worn, rebacked, [Blackmer 1317, one leaf of inscriptions; Lascarides 1185, two leaves], 8vo, M.E.Antoniades & M.K.Nicolaides, 1835.*** "Pittakis is known as the first Greek archaeologist...In 1833, with the coming of King Otho, he was appointed supervisor of antiquities of mainland Greece. In that same year he carried out the first excavation on the Acropolis and began to organize the first collection of the antiquities of Athens. This work, dedicated to King Otho, is probably one of the first books describing ancient Athens to be published in Athens itself." (Blackmer).Note by JC in pencil on front free endpaper reads, "Bt in Brno Czechoslovakia c.1980 John Collins".
Torr (Cecil) Rhodes in Ancient Times, 1885; Rhodes in Modern Times, 1887; Ancient Ships, bookplate of Arthur Bulleid, 1895; Memphis and Mycenae, 1896; Small Talk at Wreyland, First-Third Series, 3 vol., vol.1 with book-label "From the Library of Janet Ashbee and C.R.Ashbee" and pencil inscription from John Sparrow to his sister on front paste-down, bookplate of Alex Bridge, original cloth-backed boards, vol.2 & 3 with dust-jackets, 1918-23; Hannibal Crosses the Alps, 1924, first editions, some with plates, some foxing (particularly to the third), all but the fifth original cloth, the last with label to upper cover, a little rubbed, Cambridge; and 17 others by or concerning Torr including a proof copy of the abridged edition of Small Talk and a 1929 Sotheby antiquities sale catalogue including Torr's collection of Greek vases, some duplicates, 4to & 8vo (25)
Two early 20th century circa 1920s patinated spelter figured sculptures of athletes. The sculptures each in a classical Ancient Greek Olympic style, one depicting the Discobolus of Myron with athlete posed with ball on his upper arm, the other figurine clutching a victory wreath in his hand. Unsigned & unmarked, each on square plinth base. Tallest measures approx. 24cm tall.
NIETZSCHE FRIEDRICH: (1844-1900) German philosopher. An extremely rare, early A.L.S., Fritz Nietzsche, one page, 8vo, n.p. (Naumburg), n.d. (August 1857), to Wilhem Pinder, in German. The twelve-year-old Nietzsche writes a warm, social letter to his school friend, expressing his desire to see him again so that they can continue on their path of wisdom and knowledge, and informs Pinder of the progress at the Domgymnasium in Naumburg, in part, ´Denn wie lange sind wir schon getrennt und haben uns nicht gesehen! Wie ich gehort habe, befindest du dich mit deiner lieben Mamma recht wohl. Es wird dir gewiss sehr dort gefallen und oft wunschte ich, bei dir zu sein. Ich freue mich schon darauf, wenn du mir alles recht genau erzahlen wirst. Ich habe jetzt auch wieder einige Zeit lang allein gelebt wahrend die Mamma mit Elisabeth sich in Eilenburg aufhielt. Da habe ich oftmals an dich gedacht und dich sehr entbehrt. Deine Arbeiten habe ich an Hr Dr Silber abgeben. Er lobte desshalb dich vor der ganzen Klasse sehr. Die mundliche Privatarbeit ist bis jetzt noch nicht darangekommen, auch den Hannibal haben wir nicht abgeben mussen. Den Dion habe ich nun vollendet und fange den Chabrias an. Im Alcibiades sind wir bis zu den 7ten Cap[itel] gekommen. Uberhaupt haben wir jetzt immer genug zu thun, und ich kann keine Zeit auf unsre Plane verwenden. Du wirst dich gewiss auch lieber im freien aufhalten. Komm nur recht gesund wieder zuruck, dann wollen wir uns viel erzahlen, jetzt aber wollen wir recht an einander gedenken und uns lieb behalten´ (Translation: ´For how long we have been separated and have not seen each other! I have heard that you are quite well with your dear mother. You will certainly like it there very much and I have often wished to be with you. I'm already looking forward to you telling me everything in detail. I have now lived alone again for some time while mother and Elisabeth were in Eilenburg. I often thought of you there and missed you very much. I gave your work to Dr Silber. He praised you highly in front of the whole class. The oral private work has not yet been handed in, nor have we had to hand in the Hannibal. I have now finished the Dion and am starting on the Chabrias. In Alcibiades we have got as far as the 7th chapter. We always have enough to do now, and I can't spend any time on our plans. You will certainly prefer to stay out in the open. Just come back safe and sound, then we will have a lot to tell each other, but for now let us remember each other and keep each other dear´). In a postscript, signed a second time, Fr. Wilhem Nietzsche, the young Nietzsche conveys his mother´s warmest wishes to Pinder and their mother, and remarks ´Ich freue mich herzlich Ihrer Ruckkehr´ (Translation: ´I am very much looking forward to your return´). With autograph address panel to the verso and with the two parts of the small paper seal intact. Autographs of Nietzsche are extremely rare in any form, and the present letter represents a fine example from the formative years of his education which would augur well for the future life of this exceptional philosopher. A couple of very small, minimal neat splits at the edges, strengthened with contemporary clear tape to the verso, and not visible to the recto. VGNietzsche´s father, a Lutheran pastor, had died in July 1849 when Friedrich was just four years old and tragedy would strike the family again only six months later, in January 1850, when Friedrich´s younger brother, Ludwig Joseph, died at age two. Following these losses Nietzsche and his family moved to Naumburg in 1849, from where the present letter was written. The two most important female figures in Nietzsche´s early life, his mother and sister, Elisabeth, are both mentioned in the letter. Nietzsche attended a boys´ school and a private school, where he was to meet Wilhelm Pinder, who would become one of his closest friends. In 1854 Nietzsche enrolled in the Domgymnasium where he developed a keen interest in literature and philosophy, graduating in 1864. Nietzsche and Pinder´s friendship grew out of their shared passion for literature and poetry. They wrote three plays together, and Nietzsche dedicated a poem to Pinder, while in 1860, together with Gustav Krug (Pinder's cousin), they founded a literary and musical society called Germania.Nietzsche makes reference to Carl Silber, his teacher at the Domgymnasium, whom he admired dearly and who introduced him to Latin and Greek. The ancient stories mentioned here as school reading, about Hannibal, Dion, Chabrias and Alcibiades, can perhaps be found in Xenophon's Hellenics, or, more likely, in Cornelius's Lives of the Great Captains.The present letter is chronologically the fifteenth in the vast Nietzschean correspondence published by Gallimard.
John Craxton R.A. (British, 1922-2009)Goatherd and Goat signed and dated 'Craxton 1950' (lower right)oil on canvas127 x 104 cm. (50 x 40 in.)Footnotes:ProvenanceThe Artist, by whom gifted as a wedding present to the parents of the current owners in 1961, thence by family descentPrivate Collection, U.K.ExhibitedChichester, Pallant House Gallery, John Craxton: A Modern Odyssey, 26 March-21 April 2024LiteratureIan Collins, John Craxton: A Modern Odyssey, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, 2023, p.82, fig.76 (col.ill.)In May 1946 – the first spring after World War Two – John Craxton flew away to Greece. At 23, the London-born nomad found his subject in Aegean life, light and landscapes. That passion would last until his death aged 87.By 1950 the artist was in his stride: exploring the ancient Greek world of the Eastern Mediterranean; exchanging a semi-Cubist approach in conveying jagged and rugged topography for a singular style taking in everything from mythology and archaeology to Byzantine mosaics. Despite many famous friends, Craxton depicted ordinary people – soldiers, sailors and herder families living close to nature as in Homeric times. If they all possessed a heroic aspect, they also appeared on the point of laughter. In quicksilver drawings and paintings taking ever longer, subject and artist seemed to share a secret joke as well as an all too evident joy in being alive.Always short of money, Craxton accepted free materials to produce a large painting for a 1951 Festival of Britain exhibition while briefly back in London. Cash prizes were a further lure. While pretending to be toiling in England, he then absconded back to Greece and his current home port of Poros. Drawing on a recent tour of Crete, when he had nearly been shot by a drunken gunman firing wildly while entering a house on a donkey to celebrate a shepherd's wedding, a hedonistic artist began the work which would become Four Figures in a Mountain Landscape (Bristol Museum & Art Gallery). He also completed Goatherd and Goat as the principal study and a stand-alone painting.Four Figures in a Mountain Landscape is an evocation of sun and shadow. Herders, two in light and two in darkness, lead a flock of goats from shelter in a mountain cave for milking at sunrise. Goatherd and Goat depicts the key foreground figure in the dazzle of dawn.Cast in the black garb of rural Cretan manhood, and with a traditional scarf lending a piratical look, the figure clasps a billy goat's horn in an image still to be seen across the untamed Mediterranean. But here an everyday encounter meets ancient and mythic themes. Much as Craxton loved goats – admiring their resilience in tough scenery they nibble into desert – there is also a link to the wild bull capture of antiquity and the bull leapers' fresco at the Minoan Palace of Knossos. Predictably, a happy victim of 'procraxtonation' he missed the Festival of Britain deadline – but for once with a good excuse beyond the pleasures of a social life in the sun. He was asked to design the décor for Frederick Ashton's 1951 Daphnis and Chloe ballet starring Margot Fonteyn, which launched a whole new personal and professional adventure. In 2011 David Attenborough found Four Figures in a Mountain Landscape in a Bristol City Art Gallery basement during a television documentary. Goatherd and Goat was unseen until the last leg of John Craxton's 2022-2024 centenary tour, taking in Athens, Chania, Istanbul and Chichester. We are grateful to Ian Collins for compiling this catalogue entry and to Richard Riley for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
William Turnbull (British, 1922-2012)Female signed with monogram, numbered and dated '5/6 89' and further stamped with foundry mark 'Livingston Art Founders' (on the base)bronze with a black patina194 cm. (75 1/2 in.) highConceived in 1989 and cast in 1993Footnotes:ProvenanceWith Waddington Galleries, London, 1993, where acquired by the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.S.A.ExhibitedLondon, Waddington Galleries, William Turnbull: Recent Sculpture, 25 September-19 October 1991, cat.no.10 (another cast)Caracas, Galeria Freites, William Turnbull, 18 October-10 November 1992 (another cast)Berlin, Galerie Michael Haas, William Turnbull, 17 October-28 November 1992 (another cast)London, Serpentine Gallery, William Turnbull, 15 November 1995-7 January 1996 (another cast)Chatsworth, Chatsworth House, William Turnbull at Chatsworth, 10 March- 30 June 2013, cat.no.66 (another cast)Munich, Galerie Thomas, William Turnbull: Skulpturen, April-June 2002 (another cast)London, Waddington Galleries, William Turnbull: Beyond Time, 9 June-3 July 2010, cat.no.19 (another cast)LiteratureVeronique Jaeger, William Turnbull: Recent Sculpture, Waddington Galleries, London, 1991, pp.24-25, 52, cat.no.10 (ill., another cast)Amanda Davidson, The Sculpture of William Turnbull, Lund Humphries, London, 2005, pp.25, 176, cat.no.265 (ill., another cast)William Turnbull (ed.), William Turnbull: Beyond Time, Waddington Galleries, London, 2010, pp.58-59, 103, cat.no.19, (ill., another cast)Patrick Elliott and Clare Lilley, William Turnbull at Chatsworth, Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement, Chatsworth, 2013, p.47, cat.no.66 (col.ill., another cast)'Turnbull, like Giacometti, was more concerned with establishing an arresting, frontal image (as Giacometti once said, you don't walk around a person you meet, so why do it in sculpture?), one which tends to dominate space and radiate out into it' (R. Morphet, William Turnbull sculpture and paintings, London, Serpentine Gallery, 1996, p.34). William Turnbull was one of the leading sculptors of Post-War British Art and (along with Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth) turned away from the long-established preoccupation with naturalism to uncover a new notion of what sculpture was meant to be and how viewers should interact with it. As a student at the Slade, he was often to be found at the British Museum studying archaic figures as well as ancient tools and weapons. The timelessness of these archaeological and anthropological artefacts appealed and, in addition to a period spent in Paris where he was exposed to the work of Alberto Giacometti and Constantin Brancusi, they were the foundation of the pared down modernity for which Turnbull is so celebrated. And whilst he identified with aspects of many artistic groups of the period, he allied with none, instead offering a staunch independence in both his life and work.In 1973, Richard Morphet curated a major retrospective of Turnbull's work at the Tate. When the artist saw the extensive exhibition, spanning every part of his career up to that point, he became conscious of the common themes and ideas that had informed his early career. In response to his experience of the Tate show and feeling inspired, he decided to redefine his earlier ideas about sculpture and form. After an interval of about twenty years, in 1979 Turnbull returned to making monolithic figures and developed a new series of idols that would preoccupy him for the rest of his career. The present lot is one such example.Dating from 1989 Female embodies, quite literally, all the hallmarks of Turnbull's oeuvre – a totemic form, pitted surface and schematic markings – all working in harmony to inform the viewer that this is woman, in her most fundamental form. Breasts, hands and genitals are all delineated with an economy of expression that recalls Turnbull's famous question: 'How little will suggest a head?' (quoted in David Sylvester, William Turnbull: Sculpture and Paintings, Serpentine Gallery, London, 1995, p.10). Indeed, the present work suggests the human figure with graceful sparsity - the upright blade which swells and narrows, the functional handles as arms and head, and fingers scoured onto the surface, both designs and anatomy. However, rather than reduce the range of images and interpretations of the work, this simplification intensifies the effect. By reducing any naturalistic element to a minimum, this formal concentration focuses attention on the symbolic flexibility of the works and the archetypal nature of its shape. Female is also unambiguously frontal, in the way that archaic Greek and ancient Egyptian art is with the artist focussed on producing an arresting, anterior image (unlike his aforementioned contemporaries whose concerns were more 'in the round'). The surface is rough much like weathered stone (or skin?) and etched with markings that recall tribal shields, masks and tattoos; the sweep of hair is scraped and grooved like an ancient stele. As ever though, the antiquarian source material is merely alluded to rather than overtly represented.Standing in space at almost 200 centimetres high, Female is a powerful and poised example by an artist confident in his vision and the figure asserts itself as a enduring statement of modern sculpture at its most avant-garde. Here, Turnbull has successfully navigated the distant past and the immediate present, combining and confronting the two to establish a timeless visual language, that was uniquely his own.We are grateful to the Artist's Estate for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * AR TP* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information.For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Hand Grenade, Medieval Near East, Holy Land, Byzantine Empire, ca. 9th to 11th century CE. A molded pottery hand grenade in an cone shape for containing the flammable weapon "Greek fire". The hollow body is decorated with floral decor. A small neck with an opening allows the body to be filled with combustible material and for a wick to be inserted for lighting. Ancient grenades were stockpiled prior to battle and only filled when they needed to be used, hence the survival of this fine example. Greek fire was an incendiary weapon manufactured in and used by the Eastern Roman Empire from the seventh through the fourteenth centuries. The recipe for Greek fire was a closely-guarded state secret, but historians speculate it may have been made by combining pine resin, naphtha, quicklime, calcium phosphide, sulfur, or niter. Byzantine sailors would toss grenades loaded with Greek fire onto enemy ships or spray it from tubes. Its ability to burn on water made it an effective and destructive naval incendiary weapon, and rival powers tried unsuccessfully to copy the material. Height 14 cm.
Fine and extremely rare early 19th century double-sided micromosaic, porphyry and unmarked gold bonbonniere or table box, in the manner of Giacomo Raffaeli, (Italian, 1753-1836), the circular cover depicting the Doves of Pliny, the underside a butterfly, each within raised foliate border, on porphyry body, 77mm diameter x 31mm high A smaller micromosaic plaque of matching design attributed to Raffaeli was sold in these rooms for £3,000 (hammer),1st September 2022, lot 38. Giacomo Rafaelli grew up in a family who had supplied the Vatican Mosaic Workshop with smalti, the material used for micromosaics. He trained to become a master in Florentine hardstone mosaics and Roman micromosaics, holding his first exhibition in 1775. One of his earliest known examples is a small round plaque, signed and dated 1779, depicting 'The Doves of Pliny' (now at the British Museum).The original stems from a Roman floor mosaic, discovered in 1737 at Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli, which is believed in turn to be a copy of a lost ancient Greek mosaic at Pergamon.
Ca. 350 BC.A small cup from the Attic region, crafted with exquisite attention to detail. The hemispherical cup is seamlessly joined with a flared concave foot, and the walls of the cup gently curve inward. The entire surface, except for the interior of the foot, is adorned with a lustrous black glossy glaze that shimmers with the slightest hint of light. This cup is a prime example of the Attic black glaze ceramics that were widely used in domestic settings during the ancient Greek period. The Attic potters were known for their masterful use of black glaze, which was achieved by firing the clay at a high temperature in an oxygen-poor environment. The resulting glaze had a deep, lustrous black color and a smooth, glossy surface that was both durable and easy to clean. Domestic use of ceramics in ancient Greece was widespread, with cups and other vessels being used for a variety of purposes, from drinking and dining to storage and display. The Attic black glaze ceramics were particularly prized for their beauty and durability, and were often decorated with intricate patterns and designs that added to their aesthetic appeal.Size: L:50mm / W:80mm ; 60gProvenance: Private London collection, B.A.; formerly in pre-2000 European collection.

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