Attractive boatshaped battle axe, from the battleaxe period, ca. mid 3rd. millenium BC.

A finely made battle axe with nice lines and curves, boat-shaped. One end thick and blunt to function as a hammer. Made in attractive brown-grey stone and with old collection tag in white ink (see below).

Size: 12,3 cm. long.

Condition: Choice VF, some minute surface corrosion.

Provenance: Castle Gardener Peder Søren Petersen (1882–1964)...

Larger architectural Roman marble fragment, weighing c. 1000 grams.

A 15 cm. long and 11 cm. tall Roman marble from an architectural structure, showing a repeating vaseform or rhombic decoration on steps. A nice and inexpensive piece of Roman sculptural art in marble.

Provenance: Collection of Gunna Munkvad, Denmark, aquired from the 1950s-1980s.

Wheel-made hemispherical bowl on a ring base, the outer surface covered with a dark brown slip. Twin cylindrical horizontal rim lugs, incised grooves to the outer rim. Although wheel-made the rim is slightly askew.
From the collection of Desmond Morris (*1928), important collector and editor of The Art of Ancient Cyprus, Oxford 1985.
Old inventory number (344) written under the base.
Ceramic
Cypriot, Cypro-Geometric, ca. 850-750 BC
D...

Two-finger amulet, Egypt, Late Period, 664 - 322 B.C.

The stylized amulet carved in grey-black stone.

Size: 21 mm. long.

Condition: Very fine, intact with minor wear and fine patination.

Two-finger amulets were used for the dead and were often found on the lower left of the torso. This is the area of the incision that was made during the mummification process in order to remove the internal organs. These amulets were meant magically to heal the wound...

A massive / thick early cylinder seal in marple, carved with the 'eye' or circle/rhomboid form - a characteristic and significant design for the Period.

The Jemdet Nassr Period in seal manifacturing,3300-2900 BC, were spreading from Southern Mesopotamia, where a great number of administrative cuneiform tablets and seals came from. Such seals was used to impress pictures or descriptions into soft, prepared clay...

This barrel-shaped ‘Fustat bead’ is made of six sections of spiral mosaic cane laid next to each other longitudinally in alternating directions, creating a zigzag effect. The striping is the same in all cane sections—wide black, thin red, wide brown, thin red—only the direction changes. The core of the twisted cane sections, visible in cross-section at the ends of the bead, is translucent pale green. There is no core bead, the cane sections themselves were shaped into a bead...

A finely engraved larger stone stamp seal of the hemispheric seal, popular in the Uruk period. The seal in engraved with a pattern that could look like an insect or the head of an insect. Very elaborate.

Size: 26 mm. in diameter and 15 mm...

Thin-walled creamware cup with narrow base, rounded body and slightly flared rim. Single strap handle from belly to rim. Bichrome linear decoration inside and out.
For a related example, cf. Beazley Database vase no. 1009801.
Ceramic
Daunian, 4th century BC
H. 8.7 cm (3.4 in)
D. 9.9 cm (3.9 in)
Intact and fine...

A rare and elaborate stamp seal of high quality for the period, Messopotamian, Ubaid culture, 4th. millenium BC.

Of a rare variant of the gable shape, with two holes in the upper back for mounting it. Made in hard black serpentine stone.

On the seal plate an exiting engraving, very artful, with two confronting monkeys and a symbol between them.

Size: 21 mm x 21 mm-12 mm.

Ex...

A finely preserved small inscribed foundation cylinder, Neo-Babylonian Empire, c. 8th-6th. century BC.

The barrel shaped piece fully inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform. Untranslated but such cylinders usually has been attributed to Nebucadnezzar II, 604-562 B.C...

Interesting and unclassified blackstone button stamp seal, carved with cross and pellets, c. 4th. millenium BC.

Probably Mesopotamian or from ancient near east, carved in quite high relief in a nice jet-black stone.

Size: 19-20 mm.

Condition: Near fine, the seal has a fine and intact imprint, with an ancient loss / damage to the upperside of the seal over the loop, which is also intact.

A lovely and sizeable terracotta bust on a plint of a muscular young man, Time of Hadrian, ca. mid 2nd. century AD.

A very attractive bust with a wide strong chest and painted facial details in black pigment. His hair is rather long and he is arising from a round plint as was the typical for the Imperial Roman busts. The bust is possible depicting Antinous, Hadrians famous lover.

Size: 18 cm. tall and 10 cm. wide - a sizeable piece!

Condition: Superb! Perfectl...

An interesting and scarce stone seal in black stone of the Late Babylonian type, probably 1st. millenium, but could be earlier.

With a hieroglyphic looking sign engraved in the base.

Size: c. 25 mm. tall.

Comes with imprint.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from old collections. Gustav Oberländer specialized in early stamp seals fr...

A nice tanged leaf shaped bronze dagger from the ancient near east, Caspian Sea Area, Mid-late Bronze age, 2nd. mill. BC.

Very broad, leaf-shaped blade with raised central midrib and a long tang - circa half the length of the blade, with a bend at the top, for better fastening to the wooden handle.

Length: c. 20 cm

Condition: Good Very fine, fine green patina.

Ex. Private Collection in Denmark, formed in the 1990's.

Relics of the Nile is pleased to present this magnificent ancient Greek Pyxis for your consideration. The Pyxis remains completely intact with no restoration and features a design of palmettes with a nicely detailed figure of Eros on the side. The lid remains in excellent condition with attached handle with braided "knot of Hercules" design. This is a truly rare form and an excellent display piece. 16.5 cm in height. Greek, 4th Century B.C. Ex-Swiss Private Collection.

An interesting and quite attractive small limestone figure of a Noble Lady, New Kingdom, ca. 1300–1200 B.C.

The lady’s attire and hairstyle are typical of the fashion after the second half of the 18th Dynasty. She wears an elaborate envelopping wig and a wrap-around garment, pectorial on the neck.

The sculpture’s quality, combined with the body’s morphology, suggest a date in the late 18th Dynasty, but a slighty posterior date in the early 19th Dynasty is also possi...

A nice and substantial Late Gothic type of chest key, European, probably German, c. 1550 AD.

The key with enforced bit with slots, decorated hollow stem with fluted collar and an oval bow.

Size: 100 mm.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

Relics of the Nile is pleased to present his wonderful twin-handled Egyptian alabastron. The alabastron is nicely banded and well-sculpted with a cylindrical neck and disc rim. The alabastron is presented on a custom base for easy display and measures 3.25" in height (3.7" tall including the base". Egypt, Late Period ca 664 - 350 B.C..