Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Ancient World (1202)

A fine condition greek pottery amphora or Kantharos with black and red belt decorations, Southern Italian, c. 4th.-3rd. century BC.

The vessel with twin handles and very elegantly moulded and painted.

Size: c. 10,5 cm. tall and 13,8 cm. wide.

Condition: Choice Very fine, a few tiny edge chips othervise intact.

Ex. Dr. Heim collection, 1970s, sold at Hirsch 2019 / auction 245 lot 175.

A high quality and very large Byzantine / darkage bronze key, ca. 6th.-9th. century AD.

The key is finely made with a square bow withy protuding finial and a two-section hollow stem.

Size: 107 mm. long.

Condition: Extremely fine, superb with dark green enamel patina. A condition rarity as such.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

A high quality specimen of broadbladed silex axes, imitating the celts of the early European bronzeage, made in South East Denmark, during Late Neolithic to early bronzeage periods, ca. 1800-1600 BC.

The axe is partly polished and with visible seams, in a wonderful completely calsified silex stone, so with a fine white patina and iron-oxide markings. Tagged 92 with old collection tags, and with the finding place and date 1885 in pencil - a very early provenance for these...

A lovely key for a treasury chest, late 15th.- early 16th. century.

A solidly built key with enforced bit and elaborately carved hollow stem and the oval bow decorated in the gothic manor with three globes. A rare key!

The decoration of Gothic iron locks and keys was often elaborate and of the highest standard of workmanship. The motifs were frequently drawn from Gothic architecture, reproducing on a miniature scale complicated tracery patterns and even tiny statuettes...

A very good style terracotta head of a nymph or deity, Hellenistic period of the Greek city states, 3rd.-2nd. century BC.

Large head of a nice Italian / Sicilian style, probably depicting Arethusa.

Size: 8,5 cm. tall.

Ex. Collection of P. Treffz-Eichhöfer, Stuttgart, Germany, aquired 1980-2006.

A large and beautiful Scandinavian style bronze Fibula decorated with knobs and profusely engraved, c. 8th.-9th. century AD.

Impressive piece of jevellery that comes out of a very old German collection.

Size: 76 mm. long!

Condition: Nice Very fine, missing iron needle and sound metal, mottled green patina.

Ex. Rudolf Rack, Bad Nauheim, near Frankfurt, collection formed from around 1950.

A large and very early key, European, Late Medieval, c. 12th.-13th. century.

The key has a doomed bow and the stem ending in a long spike. The wide and unusual large bit with a complicated slot, probably a castle passage door key.

Size: 15,2 cm.

Condition: Very fine, tiny loss and othervise completely intact.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

A very solidly built key for a large strong-box or treasury chest, c. mid 16th. century.

The key with a large, enforced bit with elaborately carved slots. The stem decorated with an octagonal collar and the bow typical late Gothic design.

The decoration of Gothic iron locks and keys was often elaborate and of the highest standard of workmanship...

Interesting pottery jar with handle and fine decoration in red on beige ground, Ancient Near East c. 2nd. millenium BC.

Size: 15,8 cm. wide and 11,3 cm. tall.

Condition: Very fine, with short crack and small chip nicely restored and not visible.

Ex. Old Danish Collection.

A very nice and elaborate iron key of the Venethian openwork style, fitting for a casket or jewelry box, Venice, 15th.-16th. century.

An interesting version of this type with a complicated iron cut bow with an octagonal web motif and a spendid finial for a key-ring at the top. Nice piece with remnants of copper inlays in the bow and stem.

Size: 98 mm. long.

Ex. Danish Collection of keys.

The largest key in the collection for the type and period, and fitting a large family chest or trunk in oak, mid 16th. century.

Very attractive key with a Gothic design and heavy reenforced bit. Remnants of old coppering to the details.

Size: 152 mm. long.

A larger and impressive seal from the Early Halaf period of Western Mesopotamia c. late 7th.-6th. mill. BC.

The seal was reportedly found at the Orontes river.

Finely carved in a black stone with a tall handle, oval base and an interesting relief Grit-pattern in the base.

Size: 32 mm x 28 mm. and 18 mm...

An ancient fragment of a Roman Mosaic floor, complete with poly-coloured bricks forming a nice pattern, probably Late Roman 3rd.-4th. century AD.

Size: 10 cm. x 7,7 cm.

Ex. Old Private Collection.

A very rare and interesting stamp seal of quality bone or tusk, Greek period of the Levante, ca. 4th. century BC.

A beautifully carved and polished smaller stamp seal of semi-globular shape and wthe engraving of a stagg on it's face. The medium fully polished and now attractively patinated and the relief is deep.

Size: 12 x 10 mm.

Condition: Complete and intact, very rare for an ancient bone artifact. With the typical natural hairline cracks

Ex...

Green serpentine cylinder seal, Mesopotamia c. early 2nd. mill. BC. Adoration or presentation scene before an alter.

Height: 2 cm, diameter 0.8 cm.

Condition: VF, intact with surface corrosion. Better than imprint indicates.

Ex. Private Collection of Karl Müller, 1950-1977. Comes with his imprint and COA.

A very attractive Byzantine or darkage bronze chest key approx 6th.-9th. century AD.

The key is very finely made with a hexagonal bow and decoration to the hollow stem.

Size: 65-66 mm. long.

Condition: Good very fine, very nice mottled green and red patina. A condition rarity as such.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

A very attractive Byzantine or darkage bronze chest key approx 6th.-9th. century AD.

The key is finely made with a round bow and square decoration to the hollow stem.

Size: 75 mm. long.

Condition: Extremely fine, superb with even green patina. A condition rarity as such.

Ex. Important old Danish collection of keys.

An extremely rare seal made of solid silver c. late 2nd.-early 1st. millenium BC.

The seal of a familiar type of cone-formed seals, known in stone and bronze, as Western Mesopotamian types from Urartu and other Neo-Hittite / Neo-Assyrian client states further south. The seal engraved in the base with two figures.

Seals of silver are extremely rare from any of the ancient cultures, especially a seal this early. We've had only 3 other silver seals in stock for 25 years...