Showing 161–176 of 189 results
Roman Inscription Under the Name of VALERIO HERMIA
Reference #
SC_RM_1001
Civilization
Roman, 100 C.E. – 200 C.E.
Size
L. 45 cm, H. 40 cm
Condition<h/3>
Fine Condition
Price
SOLD
Provenance
Baidun Collection
Roman Pompeian Wall Fresco with Aquarium-like Swimming Fish
The origins of fresco painting are unknown, but it was used as early as the Minoan civilization (at Knossos on Crete) and by the ancient Romans (at Pompeii). The Italian Renaissance was the great period of fresco painting, as seen in the works of Cimabue, Giotto, Masaccio, Fra Angelico, Correggio and many other painters from the late 13th to the mid-16th century.
Fresco is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly-laid lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle (or medium) for the pigment, and with the setting of the plaster the painting becomes an integral part of the wall.
Roman Pompeian Wall Fresco – 3rd Style (Period)
This extremely fine fresco is an exquisite example of ancient Roman art, originates from Pompeii in ancient Rome, and is of the 3rd Pompeian Style that was popular 20-10 BCE. This 3rd Pompeian Style (and Period) emerged and developed as a reaction to the austerity of the previous period. It leaves room for more figurative and colorful decoration, with an overall more ornamental feeling, and often presents great finesse in execution. This style is typically noted as simplistically elegant.
One who beholds this fresco today wonders if the ancient Romans were making a first proto-attempt to illustrate the conceived notion of an aquarium before the advent of modern glass and other technologies that would make the invention of aquariums actually possible in the 19th century CE. It seems that the artist who painted this fresco was attempting to create a calm and relaxing environment for those who sat in the room whose walls were decorated with this fresco of swimming fish in an Aquarium-like motif – which was extremely innovative and insightful to have the foresight in his/her day 19 centuries before the advent and invention of glass aquariums!
Pompeii Destroyed by Volcanic Eruption of Vesuvius
On 24 August 79 CE, the city of Pompeii was destroyed by the violent eruption of the volcano Vesuvius. The eruption destroyed the city, killing its inhabitants and burying it under tons of ash. The circumstances of their destruction preserved their remains as a unique document of Greco-Roman life. Pompeii supported between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants at the time of its destruction. Fortunately for this Fresco, it also has survived and has remained intact in Fine Condition. Provenance is excellent: acquired in the 1980s, Ex. Private Swiss Collection.
The ruins at Pompeii were first discovered late in the 16th century CE by the architect Domenico Fontana. Herculaneum was discovered in 1709 CE, and systematic excavation began there in 1738 CE. Work did not begin at Pompeii until 1748 CE, and in 1763 CE an inscription (“Rei publicae Pompeianorum”) was found that identified the site as Pompeii. The work at these towns in the mid-18th century marked the start of the modern science of archaeology.
Mount Vesuvius erupted 24 August 79 CE. A vivid eyewitness report is preserved in two letters written by Pliny the Younger to the historian Tacitus, who had inquired about the death of Pliny the Elder, commander of the Roman fleet at Misenum. Site excavations and volcanological studies, notably in the late 20th century CE.
Just after midday on 24 August, fragments of ash, pumice, and other volcanic debris began pouring down on Pompeii, quickly covering the city to a depth of more than 9 feet (3 metres) and causing the roofs of many houses to fall in. Surges of pyroclastic material and heated gas, known as nuées ardentes, reached the city walls on the morning of 25 August and soon asphyxiated those residents who had not been killed by falling debris. Additional pyroclastic flows and rains of ash followed, adding at least another 9 feet of debris and preserving in a pall of ash the bodies of the inhabitants who perished while taking shelter in their houses or trying to escape toward the coast or by the roads leading to Stabiae or Nuceria.
Thus Pompeii remained buried under a layer of pumice stones and ash 19 to 23 feet (6 to 7 metres) deep. The city’s sudden burial served to protect it for the next 17 centuries from vandalism, looting, and the destructive effects of climate and weather.
REFERENCE #
SW_MS_1103
CIVILIZATION
Roman, Pompeii 3rd Period, 100
SIZE
31 cm x H. 36.5 cm
CONDITION
Fine condition
PRICE
Price available upon request
PROVENANCE
Ex. Private Swiss collection, Acquired 1980s
ROMANESQUE INITIAL ‘Q’ on a Leaf from a Monumental Bible
The initial in white, yellow, and blue, the shape of the ‘Q’ formed by an elaborate interlace pattern of white-vine scroll outlined in red, the infill with stylised foliage against a ground of green, 45 lines of text written in a handsome rounded protogothic transitional script in two columns, incipits in uncials touched red, initials in red (approximately 50 words, or 10 lines, trimmed from the bottom of each column, verso with adhesive stains to upper margin, not affecting the text). In a modern cloth binding. The recto opens with the end of thestandard Lucan prologue and continues with the beginning of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 1:1-25) — ‘Quoniam quidam multi conati sunt’; the verso continues with Luke 1:29-76. The layout of the text is unusual and interesting: verse 1 is here treated as the start of the book; often verses 1-4, the Dedication to Theophilus, are treated as a prologue, and verse 5 as the start of the Gospel proper. Both theMagnificat and the Benedictus, two of the six biblical canticles that were sung every week in all monasteries, are here written with enlarged red initials, their incipits in rustic capitals touched with red dots, and with left-justified red initials at the start of each phrase. The first lines of verses 18, 56, and 57 are treated similarly. The abstract, stylised design of the initial, with its intricate white-vine pattern and stark palette of primary colours testifies to the influence in Romanesque decoration of pre-Christian ornamental traditions. The fine example in the present leaf is closely reminiscent of an initial ‘A’ cut from another Romanesque bible, now at the Free Library in Philadelphia (Lewis E M 16:10)
Reference #
MS_BZ_1004
Civilization
Byzantine
Size
L. 38.2 cm , W. 27 cm
Condition
Fine Condition
Price
Price available upon request
Provenance
Baidun Collection
Schist Achamaenid Wing With Phoenix
This schist wing, dating from the Achaemenid period circa 500–300 BC and measuring approximately 27.5 centimeters, exemplifies the sophisticated craftsmanship and symbolic motifs of the era. The carved stone fragment depicts a stylized wing, notable for its intricate workmanship and symbolic significance. Central to the design is a finely incised and carefully modeled relief of a phoenix, a mythological bird emblematic of renewal, immortality, and divine protection—an iconic motif in Persian art. The detailed depiction demonstrates the skillful use of incisions and relief carving, highlighting the artisans’ mastery of stonework.
Originally, this fragment would have been part of an elaborate furniture decoration, potentially serving as a decorative panel or ornament within a throne, throne room, or ceremonial setting. The use of schist, a durable and locally sourced stone, reflects both aesthetic preferences and the technical capabilities of Achaemenid artisans. The phoenix motif underscores themes of rebirth and divine authority, aligning with the rich iconography prevalent in Persian cultural and religious symbolism.
Today, this fragment preserves the fine craftsmanship and sophisticated iconography characteristic of Achaemenid decorative arts. Its preserved details provide valuable insights into the visual language and ceremonial ornamentation of the Persian elite, illustrating the grandeur and symbolic complexity that adorned the architecture and surroundings of the ruling class in the ancient empire. REFERENCE #
SI_PR_1019
CIVILIZATION
Persian, 500 B.C.E.
SIZE
H. 27.5cm
CONDITION
Fine Condition
PRICE
$27500
PROVENANCE
Jerusalem Private Collection, late 1970’s.
Silver Coin of Alexander The Great
Silver Tetradrachm coin of Alexander the Great[/vc_column_text]
REFERENCE #
CO_GR_1003
CIVILIZATION
GREEK, 333 B.C.E.
SIZE
D. 3cm
CONDITION
Excellent Condition
PRICE
$1500
Silver Pair of Sphinx Handles
Two handles from a bowl, pot or goblet. The square section is hollow and convex in shape to make holding the vessel easier. Each handle terminates in a sphinx standing on its back legs, with its front paws outstretched. These would be the point where the handles were attached to the upper area of the vessel.
The sphinxes are identical apart from the fact that one head looks to the left and the other to the right, although not quite to the same degree. They are depicted according to the Greek social conception of this mythological creature. Each has the bust of a woman, the body and tail of a lion, great bird wings and a female human head. Each head is depicted wearing a diadem and with the hair swept up and held at the back of the head in a bun. The precision and detail of the working of the faces and wings is notable, giving a sense of movement and realism to the pair. One can appreciate a clear attempt to differentiate between the feathers of the wings: those inserted into the body itself are small and short, rather like scales, while those at the extreme end of the wings are long and narrow, to help the creature take flight.
According to ancient literary sources, the sphinx was a monster with the face and bust of a woman, the claws of a lion, the body of a dog, the tail of a snake and wings of a bird. This demon of divine origin, whose presence excited uncertainty and terror in humans, was also characterized by its pallid appearance, fiery look and venomous mouth. It’s possible that this hybrid had its origin in Egyptian iconography, where it was represented with a feline body and human face, possibly connected to the divine power of the pharaoh.
The sculptural prototype of Greek sphinxes appears around the 7th century BCE in terracotta and was usually found decorating large receptacles. A century later they appeared in marble crowning seated ex-votos on a column. The monstrous, aggressive nature of the hybrid was channelled into funerary art, serving as an apotropaic symbol to keep away malevolent forces. It was usual, therefore, to find this iconography in metopes and hollow acroteria in Greek necropoleis of the 6th century BCE, usually with the animal in profile and turning its head toward the public in an attitude of defiance.
Reference #
SI_GR_1034
Civilization Greek,
5th – 4th century B.C.E.
Size
H. 14 cm
Condition
Intact, Fine
Price
P.O.R.
Provenance
Private collection, Great Britain. Acquired before 1975
Silver Ribbed Achaemenid Wine Philae Bowl
From the Achaemenid period, particularly between circa 800-500 BC, numerous luxury vessels and ritual objects such as wine bowls are depicted in reliefs and artifacts recovered from excavations. These portrayals suggest that artisans began by shaping the vessel from a solid mass of silver, using a combination of chasing, hammering, and possibly casting techniques. The process would have involved roughing out the basic form, which was likely then refined through meticulous hammering and filing to achieve a symmetrical and balanced shape.
The large wine bowl in question exhibits a broad, rounded profile with a wide opening, designed to facilitate the pouring and serving of wine during banquets or ceremonial occasions. Its surface is decorated with intricate engraved motifs, which may include geometric patterns, stylized florals, or mythological symbols, indicative of the sophisticated ornamentation favored by Achaemenid artisans. These engravings would have been executed with precise metal tools, emphasizing symmetry and aesthetic harmony.
This vessel was crafted from silver, a metal highly prized in Persian courtly culture for its brilliance and symbolic association with purity and wealth. The silvery sheen and fine workmanship would have signified the high status of its owner, most likely a noble or a member of the royal court. The rim of the bowl is reinforced and slightly everted, suggesting a functional consideration to prevent damage and facilitate handling.
The craftsmanship and fine detailing of this bowl reflect a high level of technological skill, characteristic of the Achaemenid metallurgists. Such a substantial vessel was probably used in prestigious contexts, including royal banquets or religious rituals, serving both a utilitarian and decorative purpose.
REFERENCE #
MW-PR-1018
CIVILIZATION
Persian, Iron Age
CIRCA 800 B.C.E. – 500 B.C.E.
SIZE
DIAMETER. 22cm, HT. 7cm
CONDITION
Fine condition.
PRICE
$8500
Provenance
Jerusalem Private Collection
Silver Tyre Shekel Coin in an 18K Gold Pendent
Suspended elegantly from an 18K gold necklace, this striking silver shekel coin features the visage of a distinguished figure crowned with an olive leaf, symbolizing peace and prosperity from ancient Tyre, a historic city in southern Lebanon. On the reverse side, an intricately detailed eagle, accompanied by ancient inscriptions, displays its sharp talons and delicate plumage, showcasing skilled craftsmanship and artistic finesse. The coin’s surface is polished to a brilliant finish, accentuating the bold, embossed designs that grace both sides.
Dating from 126 B.C.E. to 66 C.E., this pendant hails from a period when Tyre had reasserted its independence, even as neighboring provinces fell under Roman dominion. Its preservation is exquisite, retaining a beauty that transcends time, making it a wearable artifact that maintains its elegance and historical significance to this day.
REFERENCE #
JW_PH_1001
CIVILIZATION
Phoenician, 126 B.C.E. – 66 C.E.
SIZE
D. 2.5 cm
CONDITION
Excellent Condition
PRICE
$5495