Greek, Roman, Egyptian & Other Antiquities

The Antiquities Dealers’ Association (ADA) has said dealers and auctioneers should stand up to “the politicisation of the antiquities trade” in the wake of a row surrounding the sale of a £4m sculpture.

The 52-lot auction of furniture, paintings and works of art collected by members of the Rothschild family was among the most animated during a packed week of London showpiece sales.

A rare Roman gold aureus, found by a metal detectorist in a field in Kent earlier this year, was hammered down at Dix Noonan Webb last week for a house record £460,000.

The Getty Museum has emerged as the mystery buyer of close to half of a collection of ancient engraved gems sold by Christie’s New York.

This over life-sized marble bust depicts Emperor Didius Julianus, who ruled the Roman empire for just a few short months in the year 193AD. His fleeting 66-day reign took place during the tumultuous period known as ‘The Year of the Five Emperors’ and came to a grisly end when he was murdered by a common soldier.

This gold ring mounted with an oval intaglio of the Roman god Mars made a multi-estimate £9000 at a sale of jewellery at Salisbury saleroom Woolley & Wallis (25% buyer’s premium).

Although the antiquities market is more stringently regulated than ever before, the possibility of illicit material continues to cause concern for collectors of antiquities. This places a greater financial value on pieces with long watertight provenances.

In the Classical world, the so-called pyxis – a small round box used for storing trinkets, ointments or cosmetics – was often made from wood and other materials, but rarely in gold.

This finely preserved Roman sports mask of a youthful African prince may depict Lusius Quietus (98- 117AD), one of Rome’s great cavalry commanders.

Dr Ivan Bonchev is founder of Pax Romana in London, a specialist gallery and auction house offering ancient art and numismatics. He launched the business six years ago.

For antiquities aficionados, the pinnacle of Christie’s ‘Classic Week’ in New York was its single-owner offering of 40 exquisitely carved intaglios and cameos hailing from the ancient world.

Artemis Gallery of Colorado holds a two-day online auction on May 22-23 that includes antiquities, Asian art, fine art and Ethnographica from round the world.

It was a white-glove result for the 49-lot auction of the collection of Jeff Hunter offered by Freeman’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Philadelphia on March 13.

The best Egyptian antiquities now engender much more than mere scholastic fervour but, for the most part, humbler objects remain eminently affordable.