It would be less than fair, then, if the disposal of Mr Morris’s collection did not throw up something that married his interests closely. He did not disappoint.
Pictured, right, is what was catalogued by Christie’s South Kensington for their November 6 sale as “An important Cypriot red polished/drab polished ware jug, early/middle Bronze Age, 2300-1650BC”, 173/8in (44cm) high.
With simple stylised figures surrounding the long neck of the jug, it is one of a number of similar jugs offered among the collection. What singled it out as far as Mr Morris was concerned was that it is possibly the first depiction in history of deer milking. The anonymous buyer clearly agreed, taking the deer milking jug way past its £7000-10,000 estimate to a hammer price of £24,000 plus 17.5 per cent buyer’s premium.
From Naked Ape to auctioneer…
DESMOND Morris is perhaps best known for his books and TV series exploring the behavioural patterns of humans and other animals. Not so well known is his fondness for collecting Ancient Cypriot Art, objects that reach back in time to an age when the society he so avidly studies was in its infancy.
