By Carter B. Horsley

This Antiquities auction at Christie's June 8, 2005 is full of many splendid works, most notably the fantastic Schuster "Stargazer," Lot 37, a 7 7/8-inch-high Anatolian marble female idol of the Kiliya type that dates to the Chalcolithic Period, circa 3300-2500 B.C.

A work of supreme beauty worthy of the world's greatest museums, it is in remarkable condition and is one of the finest works of antiquity to come up for auction in many years. It has an "estimate on request" and is likely to sell in the low seven figures. It sold for $1,808,000 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article. The sales price was an auction record for a Kiliya idol, more than doubling the previous record. Although only 65 percent of the offered lots sold, the sale total of $5,233,460 was much higher than the results at the Sotheby's antiquities sale. As the final major auction of the season, it demonstrated that Christie's was far more successful this season than Sotheby's in most major categories except Latin American art.

Highly stylized and abstract, it has a massive head tilted backward acutely. It was once in the collections of Marion Schuster of Lausanne, Switzerland, Mathilde de Goldschmidt-Rothschild and Robin Symes. According to the catalogue, only "about 15 complete or nearly complete 'stargazer' idols survive, while numerous fragmentary pieces are known....Most of the complete examples have been broken across the neck, as here, suggesting that the sculptures were ritually 'killed' at the time of burial. They range in size from about 2 1/2 inches to 9 inches...It is unclear what the relationship if, if any, between these Anatolian idols and their better-known and roughly-contemporary cousins from the Cycladic Islands further west." These figures come from Anatolia in western Turkey and Iiliua is a site near Gallipoli on the Gelibolu peninsula.

While the "stargazer" is incomparable, this auction has three works that would compliment it very nicely.

Lot 53 is a very impressive South Arabian calcite libation table that is dated circa late 7th-6th Century B.C., and is as complex as the Anatolian female idol is simple. The 15 5/16-inch long object has three horizontal registers, the top two of which have a row of dentils topped with horizontal moldings and the bottom one has an inscription that is dedicated to Athtar Ba;san when he made an agreement in the time of Sumhu-amir. The top of the table is slightly depressed and the front of the table has a projecting runoff channel in the form of a stylized bull's head. This object was once in the collection of Dr. Eli Borowski. The fourth and back side of the table is unfinished and was probably placed against a wall. The object has a modest estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $57,600.

One of the most charming objects to come up at auction in recent years is Lot 56, a South Arabian alabaster lion that is 9 7/8 inches high. The lion is dated circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D. Forget about your teddybears, this is a timeless antiquity for the child in all of us! It has a conservative estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $114,000.

Clearly the lion was tamed by Lot 59, a Parthian alabaster female figure. The 8 1/4-inch-long figure is dated circa 2nd-1st Century B.C., and is depicted reclining to her left and holding a cup in her left hand. The catalogue entry for this lot notes that the hair was once finished in a secondary material, the almond-shaped eyes inlaid, and adds that "ghosts of armlets and anklets alsoperserved." The lot has a modest estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. It sold for $16,800.

While the Anatolian "stargazer" would be the undisputed highlight of any collection, these later calcite and alabaster objects would be a collection worthy of any enlightened and humorous prince.

That prince might well be Lot 87, a Greek seated youth from the Classical Period, circa mid-5th-Century B.C. The solid cast bronze figure is, according to the catalogue, "perhaps originally from the shoulder of a large vessel." "It is finely modelled with great attention to naturalistic details of musculature and physiognomy, seated with his legs cross before him,..., wearing a pilos helmet and a chlamys pulled tightly around his left shoulder and pinned at this right, his head turned acutely to his left, his right hand fisted and raised to his chin in contemplation, his left hand emerging from his drapery, once gripping a now-missing attribute, his curly hair rendered beneath the rim of his helmet...." The catalogue also notes that "The serence expression and details of the face....find a close parallel in a standing athlete now in the Clevemland Museum of Art" and that "for a related bronze in terms of the dating, scale and function, see the maenad now in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin..." The lot has a conservative estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It failed to sell.

Another highlight of the auction is Lot 118, a Greek bronze figure of an African that is very majestic and noble in pose and beautiful in execution. It dates to the Hellenistic Period, circa late 2nd-early 1st Century B.C., and is 10 1/4 inches high. This extremely graceful work has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $96,000.

Lot 127 is a very impressive bronze Roman calvary parade helmet. Dating circa 2nd Century A.D., it is 10 1/4 inches high and the catalogue notes that it "perhaps" represents an Amazon. The helmet, which completely encloses the head, is in two sections. It has an estimate of $90,000 to $120,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 169 is an excellent headless and armless Roman marble sculpture of Isis in fine drapery. The impressive statue is 45 1/4 inches high and is dated circa 2nd Century A.D. It is property from the Francey and Dr. Martin L. Gecht Collection. "The Egyptian goddess Isis came to be immensely popular throughout the ancient world," the catalogue notes, adding that "Her cult was first established outside of Egypt in Piraeus, the port of Athens, by the 4th Century B.C. During the Hellenistic Period she was worshipped together with other Egyptian deities such as Serapis, Harpokrates and Anubis. Her cult was firmly established in Rome by the 1st Century B.C. Numerous images of the goddess survive, often with easily reognizable attributes, such as an Egyptian crown, a sistrum ans situlal and the fringed mantle with the characteristic 'Isis" knot between the breatsts." It has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It sold for $240,000.

Lot 157 is a nice Roman marble cuirassed statue, circa 1st Century A.D. The cover illustration of the catalogue, which notes that it "possibly" depicted an emperor, it is 36 inches high and has an estimate of $150,000 to $250,000. It sold for $576,000.

Lot 145 is a fine Roman bronze Satyriskos, circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D. The 21-inch-high statue has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It failed to sell. "The animated pose of this satyriskos," the catalogue observed, "recalls the famous dancing faun from the House of the Faun in Pompeii. Although our figure thrusts one arm in the air like his famous Pompeian cousin, the somewhat more static posture suggests the possibility that the upraised arm originally supported a lamp or torch."

This auction has a good selection of portrait sculptures.

Lot 146 is a very fine Roman marble head of Narcissus, circa 1st Century A.D. The 7 1/8-inch-high head is based on a 5th Century prototype by Polykleitos. The object comes from the Collection of Howard K. and Benedicte Smith. It has a modest estimate of $7,000 to $9,000. It sold for $19,200.

Lot 144 is a beautiful Roman marble head of Venus, circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D. It is 6 11/16 inches high and has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It sold for $60,000.

Lot 185 is a nicely animated Roman basalt head of a satyr from Syria, circa 2nd Century A.D. It is 8 1/4 inches high and has an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 156 is a superb Roman marble portrait head of a woman with an interesting coiffure. It is dated to the Flavian Period, circa 75-90 A.D. It is 13 1/8 inches high and has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $31,200.

Lot 170 is a Roman bronze applique in the form of a sea-griffin. It is 2 1/2 inches long and is dated circa 2nd Century A.D. It has an estimate of $3,000 to $5,000. It sold for $3,360.

Lot 83 is a nice Attic black-figured column krater that is 14 1/8 inches high. Dated circa 510-500 B.C., it has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $18,000. Lot 77 is a fine Chalcidian black-figured neck-amphora that is attributed to the Painter of the Cambridge Hydria, circa 550-525 B.C. It is 11 1/8 inches high and has an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It failed to sell.

All collectors of Egyptian art want an ibis wood and bronze sculpture. This auction offers two large ones, both from the Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C. Lot 24 is 16 inches long and has a hemhem crown and has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $31,200. Lot 25 is 21 inches long and has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 8 is an impressive alabaster Egyptian canopic jar and lid for Ipey, New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII-XIX, 1550-1196 B.C. The 16 3/4 inches object comes from the Collection of Howard K. and Benedicte Smith. It has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $38,400.

Lot 15 is a good Egyptian bronze sculpture of Osiris. It is dated Third Intermediate Period to Late Period, Dynasty XXI-XXX, 1070-343 B.C. It is 13 3/4 inches high and has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 4 is a charming pair of wood figures, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty XI-XIV, 2040-1640 B.C. They are about 10 5/8 inches high and have an estimate of $2,000 to $3,000. It sold for $9,000.

Lot 152 is a fine parcel gilt silver rhyton that is Eastern Roman, circa 1st Century, A.D. It is 8 15/16 inches high and has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It failed to sell.