This extremely rare frame of bone is from the 1st century through Byzantine. The Roman goddess has independent movable balls in the cage and is extremely delicate and very fine. It was purchased in Luxembourg. Many were found by the world famous Dr. Allen Heflin while he was stationed in Rome. This is a once-in-a-lifetime find that took me many years to assemble. Please view my youtube video of this frame at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEM_VYXP2Sw
This beautiful Dovetail is made from high gloss, waxy, semi-translucent burlington chert. It has great patina and mineralization. It comes with a Tom Davis COA rating it a G-10. It is 4 1/4" long and 1 1/2" inches wide. It was found by Charlie Walker in Bourbon County, Kentucky
This 18K gold bell is a real beauty with original clapper intact which gives an extremely pleasing tinkle. It is 7/8". This is especially beautiful gold. It weighs 13.4 grams. The sound of bells were used by shamans in their magical rituals to open portals or manifest will. It has a large decorated loop on top allowing it to be worn with a large chain. An outstanding piece of pre-Columbian jewelry.
This matching pair of Nayarit gold and silver spiral pendants were found together. The gold is 22K and hand cut, an amazing feat for today's jeweler and an unknown process with ancient tools. They are paper thin and spring-like, although lay flat. They are wearable. This is very desirable universal iconography. Purchased from the famous Lynn Langdon collection.
Charming Sitting Oribe Fu Dog Figurine on rectangular base, flowing green and light tan glazes, Meiji Period
8"L 9.5H 4.5W, some restorations to base and Rear,
Very interesting Indian Miniature Painting of a popular subject, Baz Bahadur and Rupmati, the last king of Malwa and his HIndu courtesan (r.1555-61) before its absorption into the Moghul empire,here the lovers are hunting at night, depicted as a green-gowned woman holding lantern spotlighting group of deer with the king as an archer having just used his bow standing behind her...
This red cedar mask was found by S.C. Dellinger in 1935. It is 2 3/4" long and 1 3/4" wide. The patina is gorgeous. Never seen on the market. Another will never come along.
I purchased this bone bear carving many years ago from Michael Steele, Who's Who and publisher of Prehistoric Antiquities. It was found in PA. Michael purchased it from Len Weidner who authenticated and dated it. The patina is a gorgeous deep brown. It is 2 inches square. Have you ever seen another bone bear carving? This is an extremely rare and unique artifact. Along with my other two bone gorgets, I consider these to be the finest bone artifacts in existence from North America...
These antique Razors were brought back from China by the Baptist Missionary Rebecca Cloud Stewart. The blades are rusty but they are still sharp. One has a wood handle and the other has a horn handle.
This is the only bone scalloped triskele gorget known to exist. I purchased it on 8-1-92 from Who's Who, Duke Snider, who purchased it from Tom Davis. It is a whopping 4 1/2 inches in diameter. The name of the finder will go to the buyer along with the original receipt and paperwork. Everything about this piece is 1000% correct. It is a solid piece in excellent condition with no restoration or repair. Needless to say, this is one of the finest bone artifacts known to exist...
I purchased this river-stained tally-marked four-directional/cross bone pendant from Tom Davis on 8-7-92. Tom had owned it for 10 years and he purchased it from the finder. The finder's name will be revealed to the buyer on purchase. I have the original receipt from Tom. It was found on the banks of the Tennessee River on the Tennessee/Mississippi border in Alcorn County, Mississippi. It is pictured with Tom in his bio in Who's Who, number 7, page 48. It is 3 3/4" long and 2 5/8" wide...
Needles were a valued woman's sewing tool and were carefully secured in a special case hanging from the belt. This Chinese silver needle case has 6 sides, each with a delicate repousse floral design. The bottom is weighted with a small turquoise and larger amber bead.
This is an extroadinarily rare Aztec ceramic pipe. There are only 3 others of this earliest type known to exist. It was found by Dr. Allen Heflin on 12/2/60 in Cuautitlan, Mexico. The end of the stem has been broken off and appears to have been glued back on. This is not the prettiest of the 4 pipes I have listed, but it is the oldest likened unto Paleo vs. Archaic. I have what I believe to be the largest and finest collection of Aztec pipes in private hands.
This extremely rare 6 1/2" angular owl effigy pipe was found by Dr. Allen Heflin in 1958 at the Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan site in Mexico. It is type 3A. The pupil of the right eye is missing. This is truly a fabulous pipe of which only a few exist in private collections.
Three Aztec pipes were sold at Sotheby's auction on March 23rd, 2013 for $12,890. None were as near as nice as this one or even the other three I have for sale here. If you would like a link to this Sotheby's auction, please e-mail me. This unusual zoomorphic pipe depicts a duck. Original red paint covers much of the polished black-brown surface and eyes and bill are outlined by incision. Ducks were associated with rain gods...
This Tibetan Priest's rattle is carved from horn and has a bone cap on the end. It was used by the Monk during ceremonial rituals and would have been shaken to ward off evil spirits. This horn was hand carved with many Tibetan Buddist symbols. All the edges are worn smooth with use and repeated handling.
Antique Indian small statue of Crowned Ganesh, the Hindu elephant headed deity is the remover of obsticals, seated on a lotus thrown, beautifully worn, 17th/18th century.
Size: 12" high x 7 1/2" wide x 3" deep.
Antique Chinese pair of scroll paintings with calligraphy in black ink on silk, with signed box, Qing Dynasty. With Japanese mounting.
This is an antique version of an ancient Chinese preface to a compilation of poems, the Lantingji Xu ('Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion’). The entire text of the preface is here, ending at the break 7 characters above the 2 red seals. The signature seals are those of the calligrapher...