Showing 129–144 of 189 results
Leaf from an Illuminated Manuscript in Latin – Boethius, De Consolatione Philosophiae
An Illuminated Manuscript On Vellum [Italy (Perhaps Florence), Fourteenth Century] a leaf, 315mm. by 230mm., 22 lines in a high grade angular bookhand, initials formed from ornamental penstrokes and separated from beginning of lines of verse, full border of the continuous gloss of the early fourteenth-century English author William Wheatley (see below) in smaller hand, rubrics and paragraph marks in red, two illuminated initials on blue or pink grounds with scrolling coloured acanthus leaves and large teardrop-like bezants, recovered from the binding of a series of Florentine historical works, partly by the Florentine humanist Matteo Palmieri, with sixteenth-century inscriptions identifying those works on its blank back, with scuffs, rubbing to initials, folds and small holes in places (with minor affect to 3 of glosses), overall in fair and presentable condition.
Reference #
MS_BZ_1010
Civilization
Byzantine, Medieval , 1400 C.E.
Size
H. 31.5 cm x W. 23 cm
Condition
Overall in fair and presentable condition
Price
Price available upon request
Provenance
Baidun Collection, acquired at Sotheby’s sale December 2013
List of the Patriarchs of Antioch
ANTIOCH preceded by the end of a list of the PATRIARCHS OF ALEXANDRIA and followed by a list of the canonical books of the Bible, in Greek, bifolium from a MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Greece?, mid- to late- 10th century] 196 x 153mm. 17 lines ruled in blind written in brown ink in a fine and formal Greek minuscule, headings in uncials, modern foliation 46-47. In a modern cloth binding.
Provenance: (a) the conservative character of the writing is very marked, as is customary with the codices vetustissimi and vetusti of the 9th – 13th centuries. The minuscule slants slightly to the right, the breathings are square and the accents precise, and there is no enlargement of certain letters and intermixing with uncial forms as tends to happen in later centuries, all indicating a possible dating to the 10th century. The list of the Patriarchs of Alexandria ends with Peter IV (642-651), while the list of the Patriarchs of Antioch ends with Anastasius II (599-610), and the scribe has left space for 9 and 10 more names respectively, which would suggest he was copying the text from an earlier manuscript and writing a few centuries after the names listed. (b) ANDRe ROORYCK (1923-2010), sold at Sotheby’s, 5 July 2005, lot 7. An interesting and early bifolium from what would probably have been a compendium of useful religious dates, events, and lists relating to the Greek Orthodox Church. George I (621-630), Cyrus (631-641) and Peter IV (642-651) close the list of Patriarchs of Alexandria (following the Greek Orthodox as opposed to the Coptic Orthodox tradition, after the schism of 536), while the Patriarchs of Antioch run from Peter the Apostle (c.37 – 53) to Anastasius II (599-610).
Reference #
MS_BZ_1003
Civilization
Byzantine
Size
L. 19.6 cm, W. 15.3 cm
Condition
Fine Condition
Price
Price available upon request
Provenance
Baidun Collection
Luristan Master-of-Animals Finial Standard
The area of Luristan, in western Iran, was home to a rich tradition of bronze-working in the early part of the first millennium B.C.E., producing an array of finely-crafted and distinctive objects unique to the region. This intricately-cast standard finial was originally intended to sit atop a ceremonial staff to be carried in a procession; the bell-shaped socket at the lower end was designed to enable attachment.
The finial represents, in highly stylized form, the ‘Master of Animals’, a deity considered ancient even at the time this piece was made, and who probably had origins in Stone Age hunters’ cults. The figure has a cylindrical body, with three faces along its length. With a pair of slender arms, it fends off two serpent-like creatures. The lowest part of the figure has an exaggerated, oval-shaped torso and stands on a pair of short, bowed legs.
REFERENCE #
SI_PR_1016
CIVILIZATION
Persian, 1st millennium B.C.E.
SIZE
H. 35cm
CONDITION
Fine Condition
PRICE
SOLD
PROVENANCE
Private UK collection, late 1970’s.
MONUMENTAL MESOPOTAMIAN ARCHITECTURAL TERRACOTTA MODEL
An incredible Mesopotamian architectural terracotta model designed as an ancient Mesopotamian house with two stories. Little and narrow windows were used to preserve the internal rooms from the hot rays of the sun. The second floor with the same characteristics.
For similar see: MET Museum Accession Number: 68.155.
This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.
REFERENCE
#CR_MS_1017
CIVILIZATION
Babylonian-Mesopotamian, 1600 B.C.E. – 1200 B.C.E.
SIZE
43cm x 39cm
CONDITION
Fine condition
PRICE
P.O.R
PROVINANCE
Private royal collection, 1990s
Neolithic Flint Dagger
This exceptional Neolithic flint dagger exemplifies the sophisticated stone tool craftsmanship of early Egypt or the broader Levantine region, dating from approximately 6000 to 3150 BCE. The elongated, pointed form showcases skillful knapping and pressure flaking techniques, with a smooth surface and subtle signs of use wear, indicating its original function as a utilitarian weapon or ceremonial object. Made from high-quality flint, its natural color ranges from light beige to pale brown, with a finely worked edge that demonstrates the precision and artistry of Neolithic artisans. This piece retains excellent preservation and exhibits the characteristic features of early prehistoric tools—both functional and symbolic. Its history and craftsmanship make it a noteworthy acquisition for collectors, museums, or institutions seeking authentic artifacts from one of the most significant periods in human history. An opportunity to acquire a unique and visually striking example of ancient stone technology with profound cultural and archaeological significance.
REFERENCE #
ST-CL-1003
CIVILIZATION
Egyptian, 4000 B.C.E.
SIZE
H 25 cm
CONDITION
fine condition.
PRICE
$8500
Nine Fragments From Early Liturgical Manuscripts
fragments: (i) 7 sections of leaves from a Missal, 5 triangular in shape (approximately 185mm. by 260mm.) and cut diagonally from the parent leaves, 2 further smaller pieces used as gathering supports (230mm. by 40mm. and 60mm. by 11mm.), the larger showing that the original codex was single column, 24 lines in light brown ink in a fine late Carolingian minuscule leaning to the right, with pronounced ct- and st-ligatures, lines of music in smaller script with simple neumes, rubrics (in ornamental capitals in style of ninth and tenth century) and simple red initials (some with tiny baubles at the head and foot), a few additions in later medieval hands including the apparent folio numbers “xxxi” and “xxxij” in late thirteenth-century script at the head of two leaves, Germany, second half of the eleventh century or c.1100; (ii) two long strips cut horizontally from a Lectionary leaf, each approximately 65mm. by 283mm., with remains of two columns of 7 lines of large and elegant early gothic script, rubrics and 17 one-line initials in red, Germany, mid-twelfth century; all recovered from bindings of early sixteenth-century books printed in Augsburg, and with some folds, scuffs, small stains and red ink oxidised to silver in places, but overall in good condition.
Reference #
MS_BZ_1012
Civilization
Byzantine, Medieval , 1100 C.E. – 1200 C.E.
Condition
Overall in good condition
Price
Price available upon request
Provenance
Baidun Collection, acquired at Sotheby’s sale December 2013
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
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
