Pamphylia Tetradrachm with Athena and Nike
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Pamphylia Tetradrachm with Athena and Nike

Obverse (Front): The coin features a realistic portrait of Athena facing right. She is depicted wearing a Corinthian helmet, which is adorned with a decorative crest. The engraving captures fine details such as expressive eyes and intricate helmet ornaments, styled in the classical Greek artistic tradition.

Reverse (Back): The reverse displays Nike, the winged goddess of victory, in motion, flying left. She is shown with outstretched right arm holding a wreath, symbolizing victory, while her left arm is slightly bent. Nike’s flowing drapery and detailed wings convey a sense of movement and divine aura. Behind her, the inscription ΔΕΙ-ΝΟ (Deino) appears, indicating the magistrate responsible for minting the coin. To the right of Nike, in the field, is a pomegranate, a symbol associated with Side, representing fertility or prosperity. The background field is clear, ensuring that Nike, the wreath, the inscription, and the pomegranate stand out distinctly.

REFERENCE #

CO_GR_1005

CIVILIZATION

GREEK, Circa 205-190 B.C.

SIZE

D. 3 cm

CONDITION

Excellent Condition

PRICE

$1250

Papyrus Fragments of Egyptian Book of the Dead from Ptolemaic Period
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Papyrus Fragments of Egyptian Book of the Dead from Ptolemaic Period

Book of the Dead’ is a modern term for a collection of magical spells that the Egyptians used to help them get into the afterlife.  They imagined the afterlife as a kind of journey you had to make to get to paradise – but it was quite a hazardous journey so you’d need magical help along the way.

Prior to the New Kingdom, The Book of the Dead was only available to the royalty and the elite. The popularity of the Osiris Myth in the period of the New Kingdom made people believe the spells were indispensible because Osiris featured so prominently in the soul’s judgment in the afterlife. As more and more people desired their own Book of the Dead, scribes obliged them and the book became just another commodity produced for sale.

In the same way that publishers in the present day offer Print on Demand books or self-published works, the scribes offered different “packages” to clients to choose from. They could have as few or as many spells in their books as they could afford. Bunson writes, “The individual could decide the number of chapters to be included, the types of illustrations, and the quality of the papyrus used. The individual was limited only by his or her financial resources” (48).

From the New Kingdom through the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323 – 30 BCE) The Book of the Dead was produced this way. It continued to vary in form and size until c. 650 BCE when it was fixed at 190 uniform spells but, still, people could add or subtract what they wanted to from the text. A Book of the Dead from the Ptolemaic Dynasty which belonged to a woman named Tentruty had the text of The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys attached to it which was never included as part of the Book of the Dead. Other copies of the book continued to be produced with more or less spells depending on what the buyer could afford. The one spell which every copy seems to have had, however, was Spell 125.

Featured here are several papyrus fragments of the Egyptian Book of the Dead from Egypt’s Ptolemaic Era (305 – 30 BCE).  Examining Egyptian art during these 300 years reveals strong continuities in its traditions but also interactions with Greek art, whose forms and styles swept the world with Alexander’s armies. The encounter of the two cultures had many aspects and phases, and is easiest to comprehend by looking first at the new ruling class, its involvements and concerns, and then at religion and the arts in the greater land of Egypt.

 

FOOTNOTES:
1.) The British Museum

2.) Ancient.eu

3.) Met Museum

REFERENCE #

MS_EG_1003

 

CIVILIZATION

Egyptian

SIZE

Varying…

CONDITION

Fine Condition

PRICE

Price upon request

PROVENANCE

Baidun Collection

Partial List of Eparchies in the Byzantine Church with Bishoprics in Asia MinorPartial List of Eparchies in the Byzantine Church with Bishoprics in Asia Minor
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Partial List of Eparchies in the Byzantine Church with Bishoprics in Asia Minor

Greek bifolium from the inside of a gathering with Greek foliation in a later hand, ff. 119, 120. Written on vellum in a small, neat minuscule hand in dark brown ink with section heading, initials, and ornamental penwork divisions in red. It does not appear to have been ruled.
Date: 11th century. See V. Gardthausen, Griechische Palæographie: Zweiter Band: Die Schrift, Unterschriften und Chronologie im Altertum und im byzantinischen Mittelalter, Zweite Auglage (Leipzig: Verlag von Veit & Comp., 1913), Taf. 7.
Provenance: This was formerly in the collection of late Professor David Bitzer of the Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, According to De Ricci & Wilson he obtained it from the London dealer Leighton. The consignor was a descendant of Bitzer.
Contents:
The contents follow that of the edition of the Notitiæ by Darrouzès. The list for each eparchy has been supplied from a scanned image of his work in Notitia 1, 144-326, pp. 207-211.

Reference #

MS_BZ_1014

Civilization

Byzantine

Baidun Collection,

acquired at Christies sale November 2013

Condition

Fine condition

Price

Price available upon request

Provenance

Baidun Collection

Phoenician Bichrome Ceramic Amphora
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Phoenician Bichrome Ceramic Amphora

The dull pointed base of this large Phoenician amphora hints to the worker’s toil in an ancient time. With nary a bottom upon which to rest, this vessel would have been lugged by its two handles through the winding streets of a grand Phoenician city. In order to keep tabs on his investment, this vessel’s owner would have used the lovely bichrome decorations that ring its body and neck as a mark of possession, individualizing it among the others in the market.

The smooth sides of this terracotta amphora remain in excellent condition, while the bichrome bands are still crisp and distinctly colored.

REFERENCE #

KB_PT_2546

CIVILIZATION

Iron Age II B, 900 B.C.E. – 800 B.C.E.

SIZE

H. 22 cm

CONDITION

Fine condition

PRICE

Price available upon request

Roman Bronze Medusa Phalera with Silver Inlays
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Roman Bronze Medusa Phalera with Silver Inlays

Medusa, the beautiful gorgon with winged head and snaky hair, is modeled in relief on the convex disc, as a beautiful woman with severe face, her long hair falling in rich curls around her head, turned into curled snakes, tied below her chin. A large pair of wings coming out from the top of her head and spreading to its sides.

The Medusa face is portrayed with dramatic expression, with frowning brows, large accentuated eyes, long nose with dilated nostrils, and the full lips slightly opened to expose clenched teeth. The eyes and teeth accentuated with inlaid silver.

The figure is modeled in fine style, and the details rendered with great attention, to create a vivid expression and liveliness.

The Phalera, an armor decoration, mounted on the chest, was believed to have the power to protect its bearer from enemies and to ward off the evil. It may be found in depictions of the goddess Athena (- Minerva) and the god Mars (-Ares), of Alexander the Great, and of Roman Emperors and military officers.

 

Reference: Cf. Medusa phalera on goddess Athena: De Caro, S., The National Archeological Museum of Naples, 1996, p. 320. On Alexander the Great: Ibid, p. 144.

On a Roman Emperor: Kleiner, D. E. E., Roman Sculpture, Yale University Press, 1992, p. 240, fig. 203. On the god Mars: Ibid, p. 182, fig. 150.[/vc_column_text]

REFERENCE #

SI_RM_1080

CIVILIZATION

Roman, 200 C.E. – 300 C.E.

SIZED. 12.5 cm

CONDITION

Excellent condition. Minor cosmetic fillings, otherwise perfect.

PRICE

P.O.R

Roman Bronze Phalera
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Roman Bronze Phalera

Description

This impressive bronze Roman phalera exemplifies the craftsmanship and symbolic artistry of ancient Roman metalworkers. The circular disk features an intricate high-relief depiction of a classical figure, possibly a deity or mythological character, rendered with expressive detail and dynamic flowing hair. The bronze surface exhibits a rich patina, with hues of green and brown indicating its ancient provenance and the natural weathering process over centuries.

The phalera, would have been used as a decorative ornament on military uniforms or horse harnesses, serving both decorative and symbolic purposes. The finely detailed relief showcases the artisan’s skill in metalwork, with carefully modeled features that convey strength and character.

 

REFERENCE #

SI_RM_1110

CIVILIZATION

Roman, 100 C.E. – 200 C.E.

SIZED. 8cm

CONDITION

Excellent condition.

PRICE

$8995