By Carter B. Horsley

This Antique Jewelry auction at Christie's December 9, 2004 is highlighted by a great Greek amethyst cameo of a bear's head, a very fine Egyptian amulet of Winged Isis with Horus the Falcon, some very nice Roman rings and Egyptian necklaces and the Marlborough cameo.

The best piece is Lot 111, the Greek amethyst cameo of the head of a bear. Dated to the Classical Period, circa 4th Century B.C., it is only 1 1/2 inches high but is very finely detailed and has a lovely color. The catalogue notes "a single menacing forepaw positioned along the lower edge" The lot has an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 63 is a nice group of four Egyptian amulets that date from the Third Intermediate Period to the Ptolemaic Period, 1070-30 B.C. The tallest amulet, a green faience Nehebkau, with snake head and tail and a human body, is only 1 1/4 inches high. The other amulets include a dark red glass Ba-bird, a turquoise blue and black faience Thoth s an Ibis, and a cream-brown faience Horus falcon. The lot has an estimate of $2,000 to $3,000. It sold for $2,271.

Lot 78 is a very fine Egyptian faience amulet depicted Winged Isis with Horus the Falcon. The 1 1/2-inch-high amulet is finely detailed and is dated Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C. It has a modest estimate of $2,000 to $3,000.

Lot 145 is a Roman Republic, circa mid 1st century B.C. black jasper oval engraved with facing portrait heads of a youth and a young women, set in a gold setting, circa 4th Century A.D. It has an estimate of $6,000 to $8,000. It sold for $5,736.

Lot 3, scarab finger ring, East Greek, gold and carnelian, Archaic Period, circa Late 6th Century B.C., has the head of a roaring lion engraved on the underside of the scarab. It had an estimate of $5,000 to $8,000 and sold for $35,850.

Lot 73, two Egyptian lapis lazuli amulets, Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C., had an estimate of $1,200 to $1,800 and sold for $1,135.

Lot 121, a Greek gold and garnet strap necklace, Hellenistic Period, circa Late 4th-Early 3rd Century B.C., had an estimte of $25,000 to $35,000 and sold for $50,190.

Lot 124 is a lovely pair of Greek gold earrings, Hellenistic Period, circa Late 4th-Early 3rd Century B.C. The earrings had an estimate of $4,000 to $6,000 and sold for $23,900.

Lot 149 is "The Marlborough Cameo," a Roman onyx cameo portrait of the Emperor Claudius, who ruled from 41 to 54 A.D. The 3-inch-long cameo has an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It was once in the collection of George Spencer, Fourth Duke of Marlborough (1738-1817) and subsequently Sir Francis Cook (1817-1901), Wyndham F. Cook (d. 1905) and Rafael Esmerian of New York.

The catalogue provides the following commentary about Claudius:

"Tiberius Claudus Nero Germanicus was born in Lyon, France (ancient Lugdunum) in 10 B.C. He was the youngest son of the Emperor Tiberius' brother Drusus amd Antonia the Younger, the niece of Augustus and daughter of Marc Antony. Due to poor health and a pronounced stammer, his family assumed tht he would never amount to anything....He was not granted any major position during the reigns of Augustus or Tiberius, but in 37 A.D., during the reign of his nephew Caligula, he shared the consultate and presided at the public games in the Emperor's absence. Claudius was possibly involved in the plot to assassinate Caligula, and he succeeded his nephew at the age of 51 as the fourth Emperor of Rome on 24 January 41 A.D."

The catalogue also notes that one expert has observed that "as a way of visually distinguishing the emperor from his hated predecessor Caligula, Claudius' protraits, present him with relatively realistic facial features, consonant with his age at the time of his accession."

The lot sold for $321,100.