By Carter B. Horsley

Christie's offerings of antiquities December 9, 2005 is highlighted by an excellent group of Egyptian Art from the Harer Family Trust Collection and some spectacular Roman busts in the regular antiquities auction. In addition, Christie's has a good selection of ancient jewelry that it is offering in a separate auction December 8, 2005.

Dr. W. Benson Harer writes in the catalogue for this auction that "for over twenty years I started each day with a cup of coffee sitting quietly with Nefertari," a standard-bearing statue of Queen Nefertari, shown above, that is dated to the New Kingdom in Egypt, Dynasty XIX, Reign of Ramesses II, 1290-1224 B.C. The 37-inch high black granite statue, Dr. Benson continued, "set a tone that prepared me for whatever the challenge that the practice of obstretics and gynecology might bring," adding that he has retired "and realize that her hope for immortality vastly exceeds my one."

Dr. Harer's first purchase of antiquities was "a scarab necklace for my wife in 1955," adding that "we began collectively actively in 1973 and purchased thirty items - mostly under $300 and mostly fake!....It was a bit daunting to know I set a new world record for the purchase of a New Kingdom artifact when I bought the Standard-Bearing Statue of Queen Nefertari at Christie's in 1979. I spent ten times more than I had ever paid for any previous antiquity, but I believed it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. this was later confirmed when Madame Desroches-Noblecourt, curator at the Louvre, told me the museum was the under bidder."

Dr. Harer was the first non-professional to become a Governor of the American Research Center in Egypt in 1981 and was appointed adjunct professor of Egyptology in the department of humanities at the California State University in San Bernardino in 1990.

Lot 14 has an "estimate on request." It sold for $2,256,000 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.

Another major work in this auction is Lot 37, a black basalt block statue of Wahibre, priest of Amen, Ptolemaic Period, 304-30 B.C. The 13 1/8-inch high statute has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $240,000.

Lot 17 is a very fine and impressive limestone Egyptian shabti, New Kingdom, Dynasty XIX, 1307-1196 B.C. The statue is10 7/8 inches high and has a modest estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $174,000.

Lot 23 is a superb Egyptian bronze statue of Osiris, Late Period, Dynasty XXVI-XXX, 664-343 B.C. The 7 1/2-inch-high statue is is marvelous condition and has an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It sold for $42,000.

Lots 8 and 9 are good wood fertility figures from the Middle Kingdom, Dynasty XI, 2040-1991 B.C. Lot 8 is 7 1/8 inches high and has an estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. It sold for $36,000. Lot 9 is smaller but better. It is 6 1/4 inches and has an estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. It sold for $42,000.

Fragments sometimes have an allure that complete figures lack. Lot 20, for example, is an exquisite fragment of a green graywacke statue of Osiris. It only is a fine modelled upper torso, but the broken-off bottom and top are strategically fortuitous, resulting in a very pleasing sculpture on its own. It has a modest estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $54,000.

Lot 24 consists of 37 Egyptian glass amuletic inlays, the largest of which is only 2 3/16 inches long. The inlays date to the Late Period, Dynasty XXVII-XXX, 525-343 B.C. The lot has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It sold for $66,000.

Lot 2 is an adorable Egyptian white limestone hippopotamus that is only 1 1/4 inches long. It is dated Predynastic Period, circa 3200 B.C., and has an estimate of $6,000 to $8,000. The piece is perforated vertically and horizontally for suspension. In the 1970s, it was in the collection of Dr. Elie Borowski. It failed to sell.

Another small but excellent work is Lot 5, a gold amulet of an Ibis that is only 7/8 inches long. The lot was was in the collection of Anthony J. Drexel Jr., the Detroit Institute in Philadelphia and the Minnepolis Institute of Art. It has an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $26,400.

The regular Antiquities auction is highlighted by several superb Classical marble sculptures and an early Egyptian group sculpture.

Lot 108 is a charming, small Mesopotamian amulet made of aragonite. It is dated Late Uruk/Emdet Nasr Period, circa 3200-2900 B.C. It is 1 1/16 inches high and has a modest estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. It sold for $7,200.

Lot 109 is a Mesopotamian gypsum head of a worshipper, Syria, Early Dynastic III, circa 2550-2250 B.C. It was once in the collection of Dr. Elie Borowski. It is 4 1/4 inches high and has a modest estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $38,400.

Lot 200 is a very beautiful Greek marble bust of Aphrodite. It is dated to the Hellenistic Period, circa 3rd-2nd Century B.C. It is 11 3/8 inches high.  It has a modest estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $240,000.

Lot 48 is a very impressive Egyptian limestone statue of Ka-Nefer and his family. It is dated Old Kingdom, Dynasty V, 2465-2323 B.C., and is 14 inches high. It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $2,816,000.

Lot 50 is a fine limestone relief for Ipi that is 48 3/4 inches high. It is dated to Old Kingdom, Dynasty V, 2465-2323 B.C. It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It sold for $120,000.

Lot 330 is a wonderful Roman marble sacrophagus panel from the Antonine Period, circa 160 A.D. It depicts a battle of Lapiths and Cenaurs at the wedding of Perithoos and Hippodameia with the Greek warriors depicted nude and the half-equine monsters all bearded with huruly hair and the violent scene is framed by two draped female onlookers. It is 77 inches wide and has a modest estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $486,000.

The most spectacular work in the auction is Lot 326, an "over-life-sized" Roman bronze portrait of the Emperor Antoninus Pius" from the Antonine Period, circa mid-2nd Century A.D. It is 16 1/4 inches high and was with the British Rail Pension Fund from 1978-1996 and in 1996 with Robin Symes Ltd., in London. Antoninus Pius became Emperor at the age of 52. The catalogue entry for this lot notes that "It seems likely that this is a posthumous portrait, based on the large dreamy eyes with heavy upper lids, which finds parallels with the portraits of his successor Marcus Aurelius and Caracalla." The lot has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $2,256,000.

Lot 315 is an impressive Roman marble of Apollo that is dated circa 130-150 A.D. It is 14 inches high and has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It is in pretty good condition and is notable for the stylistic and dramatic treatment of hair. It sold for $307,200.

Lot 189 is a nice Greek marble veiled head of a goddess, Hellenistic Period, circa 4th-2nd Century B.C. It is 13 1/4 inches high and comes from the collection of Evelyn Annenberg Hall and had been with C. Dikran Kelekian in 1965. It has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $98,400.

Lot 318 is a charming Roman marble sculpture Venus and Cupid, circa 2nd Century A.D. It is 11 3/8 inches high and has a modest estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It failed to sell.

One of this auction's highlights is a fine terracotta statue of Alexander the Great or a successor that is dated to the Hellenistic Period, circa 4th Century-early 3rd Century B.C. It is 22 1/2 inches high and has an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. The catalogue entry for this lot noted that it is "hand-modelled, perhaps a modello for a large-scale sculpture in bronze, manneristically depicted." "As court painter to Alexander, Lysippos is thought to hae created the originals of all the approved Alexander portrait types in the round. The most renowned, the Alexander with a Lance, has not survived, but his recorded by Plutarch....The present terracotta," it continued, "may be a more accurate reflection of this lost original....It is traditionally held that Alexander was left handed and here the young king is portrayed with his right arm relaxed and his left arm bent acutely to hold his lance, a trait which our terracotta shares with only a few other examples....Outside of a cultic context, Greek terracotta sculpture from the Hellenistic Period in this impressive scale is exceedingly rare....The costume...seems to be unique for the Alexander portraits in all media."

It sold for $553,600.

Lot 106 is a nice copper combat group that is Western Asiatic, Mesopotamian or Elamite, circa mid-3rd Millennium B.C. It is 5 inches high and has a modest estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It sold for $28,800.

Lot 79 is a nice bronze Egyptian statue of a pantheistic deity. Dated Late Period to Roman Period, 664 B.C.-100 A.D., it is 5 1/2 inches high. It has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $12,000.

Lot 94 is a good Egyptian bronze statue of a falcon, Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C. It is 11 5/16 inches high and has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $42,000.

One of the better Greek vases in this auction is Lot 226, an Attic black-figured neck-amphora from the Group of Toronto 305. Dated circa 520 B.C., it is 16 5/8 inches high and has a modest estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It sold for $54,000.

Lot 180 is a impressive Greek bronze "pseudo-Corinthian" helmet, North Apulian, Classical Period, circa 450-400 B.C. It is 9 1/8 inches high and is incised with confronting boards and has three plume-holders. It has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It failed to sell.