By Carter B. Horsley

Bringing this very strong auction season to an end, this Antiquities auction boasts several major museum-quality works, some superb ancient glass and numerous nice objects from many different cultures.

Almost 90 percent of the offered lots sold, a fine percentage, and many sold above their high estimates. The sale total was $9,332,145 and ended the Spring 2000 auction season on a high note.

The catalogue’s cover illustration is Lot 60, a bronze head of a young athlete, Roman Imperial, circa late 1st Century B.C./1st Century A.D., shown above, the auction’s star lot.

The catalogue includes 5 full-page color illustrations of the head from various angles as well as a half-page color photograph of it mounted on a bronze base that has shoulders and a neck that was created for it in Renaissance Italy. The head is being sold together with the base. The height of the head is 11 ¾ inches. The head is exquisitely carved with highly stylized curly hair and a noble but slightly sad expression and the face has quite full lips. "The accompanying bronze shoulders, a thick-walled cast, are robustly chased and draped in a similar fashion to those executed in northern Italy by the mid 16th Century, and like the complete figure to which the head was joining in antiquity, the join between the head and neck is skillfully disguised (although the correct angle was not understood). The workmanship of the crisp and deliberate folds of drapery fastened at the shoulder with a finely tooled morse bears a close affinity to that of the Lombardo family, an important dynasty of Venetian sculptors," the catalogue noted. The head and the supporting shoulders and neck are shown combined, below.

"The complete bronze figure for which this head was separately cast showed the young athlete after a competition looking down and concentrating on cleaning his strigil (the curved instrument used by Greek athletes in combination with olive oil, to scrape dust from their bodies). There are several other copies after the Greek original, of which the bronze statue from Ephesos - now in Vienna - is perhaps the best known. Cornelius C Vermeule…notes that certain ‘modern critics have seen this athlete as a work oa follower of Polykleitos, perhaps his presumed grandson Daidalos, while others have identified the figure as an early work of Lysipppos. If the latter supposition is true, this statue’s original in bronze may be the true Aproxyomenos of Lysyippos, for the type was obviously far more popular than that of the celebrated marble from Trastevere in the Vatican.’ Lysippos, active between 360 and 315 B.C., was, in addition to being an extraordinarily prolific sculptor in bronze, the court portraitist to Alexander the Great, and his fame equaled that of his near contemporary Praxiteles," the catalogue stated.

The work was formerly in the collection of Senator Bernardo Nani in a museum at San Trovaso that housed the largest collection of antiquities in Venice in the second half of the 18th Century.

The lot has an "estimate on request." It sold to an anonymous buyer for $4,550,750, including the buyer's premium, a world auction record for an antiquity!

Another major work, which happens to be from the same period and culture is Lot 89, a silver skyphos, shown above, 6 15/16 inches wide. The two-handled bowl has high relief, repoussé carving, depicting on one side, two lions chasing two wild donkeys, a lion cub with one forepaw resting on a rock and two monkey sin a tree, all possibly representing Africa; and, on the other side, probably representing Europe, a bear and its club attacking a bull with another bull in the background and a smaller bear cub emerged from its den. The finely carved and very impressive piece has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000 and has four color illustrations in the catalogue. It sold for $643,750 to an American private collector.

The third great piece in this auction is Lot 123, a gray chlorite, marble and lapis lazuli figure of a priestess or goddess, Bactria or Iran, circa late 3rd Millennium B.C., shown above. The 3 ¼-inch high figure is striking not only because of its very small head but also its pose in a huge, voluminous fleece mantle that is remarkably stylish with its large leaf patterning and billowing form. The lower right front of the seated figure’s carved garment is a bit damaged, which is not visible in the above photograph but quite visible when seen from the front or the other side, but still not enough to seriously detract from the weighty significance of this small object. This lot has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000, which is not unreasonable as this fat lady could probably sing! It failed to sell.

Anyone who has a taste for the small priestess or goddess in the above lot will certainly want to consider Lot 5, a schist palette, Predynastic period, Nagada II, Egypt, circa 3600-3200 B.C., a stylized guinea fowl with slender arched neck and circular eyes once inlaid. The 5 ¾ -inch-high work was formerly in the Heeramaneck Collection and was on loan to the Brooklyn Museum of Art from 1978 to 1986. The piece still has part of a leg at its bottom. Numerous similar palettes appear on the market but rarely one with a shape so well-defined. The lot is conservatively estimated at $5,000 to $8,000. It sold for $18,000.

There are several nice ushabtis that were formerly in the collection of Kalebdjian Frères in Paris, including Lot 6, a white faience ushabti, 19th Dynasty, 1292-1190 B.C., 6 3/16 inches high and Lot 9, a blue-green faience ushabti, 26th/30th Dynasty, 664-342 B.C., 7 ¾ inches high. The former, which has its face and hands painted red and his wig and some other details painted violet, has a very conservative estimate of $2,000 to $3,000, and the latter has an similar estimate. Lot 6 sold for $7,800 and Lot 9 sold for $5,100.

From a private Belgian collection comes Lot 16, shown above, a bronze figure of the Moon God Thoth, 26th Dynasty, 664-525 B.C., that is on a base fronted by two small baboons. The striding god wears a finely pleated kilt and has a crown coposed of horns, moon-disk and an Ibis head surmounted by the rust-atef crown. The catalogue suggests that the base may not belong to the figure. The height of the figure is 6 7/16 inches and the overall height of it and the base is 8 inches. The lot has a conservative estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $23,750.

From the same collection also comes Lot 23, a bronze figure of an ibis, Late Period, 716-30 B.C., that is 9 1/8 inches long that has a separately cast head and body and has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $30,650.

In contrast, Lot 24 is another ibis from the same period that is 10 ½ inches long and has a wooden body and comes from Mathias Komor in New York and the estate of Mrs. John Hay Whitney. It has an estimate of only $8,000 to $12,000 and most likely it will fetch considerably more considering how the market has been quite excited about the "Whitney" provenance over the past season or so. It sold for $19,150.

Some works of art may not be perfect but have a certain quality that is especially intriguing. Lot 46 is a Greek marble hero relief of Diomedes, 2nd Century B.C., 13 ¼ inches high, that is such a piece. At first glance it seems a bit unfinished although parts of it are quite wonderfully sculpted. Diomedes is astride a horse which is standing in front of a tree from which hangs a giant snake/serpent and Diomedes is offering the "great fork-tongued serpent" a drink from a "phiale mesmophalos." Diomedes sits tall upon his horse and what is startling is the stance and expression, or rather lack of expression of the horse as the snake’s head seems to rest against its front haunch deciding whether to drink. The snake’s body is almost as big as the major branches of the tree that has quite delicate leaves on its upper branches. The serpent appears to be at least 12 feet in length. The work is both ominous and peaceful, quixotic and unnerving. The lot has an estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $159,750.

Lot 47 is also very interesting. It is a 22 5/8-by-20-inch fragment of a Hellenistic marble funerary relief, circa late 3rd/early 2nd Century B.C., and it shows a man seated on a chair with leogriff support, and wearing a himation falling from his left shoulder, his right hand resting on his knee, a woman standing at his right and resting the figures of her left hand on his arm, a small herm of a youth behind. The man’s and the woman’s heard are missing and the fragment is centered on the women’s hand resting with spread fingers on the arm of the man and her fingers are just beneath the youth’s small head. The composition, or what remains of it, is particularly affectionate and the fragment is itself very asymmetrical but poetic. The youth stays out directly to the viewer in this very communicative work that has an estimate of $35,000 to $45,000. It sold for $78,375.

For those who are only happy with fragments that are torsos of naked women, there are two choices, Lots 48 and 49. The former is a Roman marble torso of Aphrodite, circa 2nd Century A.D., 14 1/8 inches high, and the latter is a similar figure, Roman Imperial, circa 1st/2nd Century A.D., that is 16 5/8 inches high and they have estimates, respectively, $6,000 to $9,000 and $20,000 to $30,000. Lot 48 sold for $20,300 and Lot 49 sold for $66,875.

For many collectors, however, nothing beats great folds of "diaphanous chiton and himation" for the best statues of antiquity often seem to reveal as much through the stone drapery of clothing as the nudes but have the added bravura of making the stone clothes seem pliant, soft, touchable. Lot 50, then, is for these collectors, a marble figure of a goddess, now headless, late Hellenistic or early Roman Imperial, circa 1st Century B.C., 30 ¼ inches high. The lot has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It sold for $81,250.

Lot 87 is another statue, of a clothed woman and it has even more folds than Lot 50. It is a "monumental" portrait statue, Roman Imperial, 2nd Century, A.D., 73 inches high, and has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. The figure holds her right arm up to her face, which is mostly missing. It sold for $214,750.

For those who insist on women with heads, Lot 124 may bring happiness. It is a limestone bust of a woman, Palmyra, circa 1st half of the 3rd Century A.D., 27 3/8 inches high. The highly detailed sculpture shows a woman with very elaborate jewelry and a headdress. It has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $104,250.

While the draped ladies are very popular, Lot 88 is certain to turn some heads as it is a very impressive marble taorso of an Emperor or General, circa mid 2nd Century A.D., that is being deaccessioned by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, which presumably must have several of these to decide to part with it! The 47-inch-high torso is distinguished by a very nicely rendered breastplate with a large tied sash and it has one nicely sculpted exposed knee. It has a conservative estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $98,500.

Lots 53, 55, 57 and 58 are very nice Greek vases with modest estimates. Lot 53 is a Corinthian pottery trefoil oinochoe, circa 625-600 B.C., with black, red and white depictions of a seated sphinx, a striding lion, a swan flanked by sirens, a striking panther and a grazing deer. It has a conservative estimate of $6,000 to $9,000. It sold for $13,200. Lot 55 is an Attic Black-Figure Trefoil Oinochoe, circa 520-510 B.C., that shows Dionysos holding large grapevine branches standing between dancing maenads and satyrs. It has an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000. It sold for $27,200. Lot 57 is an Attic Black-figure eye cup from the same period as Lot 55 and it shows two warriors in combat. The 7 7/16-inch diameter object has an estimate of $5,000 to $8,000. It sold for $16,800. Lot 58 is a slightly earlier Attic Black-Figure Eye Cup, 11 11/16 inches in diameter that shows Herakles advancing towards a fallen adversary with Athena advancing from the other direction. It has an estimate of $90,000 to $100,000. It sold for $80,000. The latter two lots are called "eye cups" because their design incorporates abstract faces with enormous eyes.

Lot 75 is a very fine Etruscan bronze figure of a warrior, circa 4th Century B.C., that is 9 9/16 inches high and is notable not only for its fine, soft modeling but also for the quite extravagant high-crested helmet. It has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $46,750.

For many novice collectors, the golden fleece is Assyrian palace reliefs from about seven centuries B.C., like the marvelous room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These are on a par with the Elgin Marbles at least in terms of impressiveness and in most instances are far better preserved. Lot 120, then, should stir some interest for it is a Assyrian gypsum relief fragment, Nineveh, probably from the South-west Palace of Sennacherib, reign of Sennacherib, 704-681 BC. The 14 by 18-inch fragment has one full, and marvelously bearded, face and a portion of another. It has a conservative estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $98,500.

The afternoon section, which starts at 2 PM, begins with a very good selection of Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic Glass.

One of the glass highlights is Lot 153, a gold-band glass Alabstron, circa 1st half of the 1st Century, A.D., with opaque swirling bands and lines in brilliant green, cobalt blue, white, yellow, red and black and areas of transluscent clear glass containing shattered gold foil. The 5 1/16-inch high object, which has a large chip on one side and a smaller restored chip on the other and stress cracks, has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. It was withdrawn.

Lot 161 is a cobalt-blue marbled glass inkwell, circa 1st Century A.D., 2 3/8 inches high, that has an estimate of $2,000 to $3,000. It sold for $5,700.

Lot 174 is a pale blue-green glass bottle, circa 3rd/4th Century A.D., 5 ½ inches high, that has an estimate of $1,500 to $2,500. It sold for $4,500.

Lot 191 is a blue-green glass jar, circa 4th/5th Century, A.D., 4 7/8 inches high, that has an estimate of $5,000 to $8,000 and has numerous deep aquamarine ornamental handles around the foot, shoulder and rim and zigzag thread on the body. It sold for $9,000.