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SELECTIONS FOR 2022
2 CATALOGUE Edited by: Gian Piero C. G. Milani Texts by: Fayez Barakat, Gian Piero C. G. Milani Curated by: Lydia L. Cawley Paintings by: Fayez Barakat
Publication date: 03.12.2021 Published by: HANNA BELLA PUBLISHING www.barakatgallery.eu COPYRIGHT © BARAKAT GALLERY TEXTS © THE AUTHORS All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form of electronic or mechanical means including storage by information or retrieval systems without written permission of the authors except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
All our artefacts are guaranteed to be genuine and a certificate of authenticity is included with each item.
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London
58 Brook St, Mayfair London, W1K 5DT +44 (0) 20 7493 7778 info@barakatgallery.eu www.barakatgallery.eu
Seoul
58-4, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea +82 02 730 1949 barakat@barakat.kr www.barakat.kr Los Angeles 941 N La Cienega Blvd Los Angeles CA 90069 +1 310 859 8408 contact@barakatgallery.com www.barakatgallery.com
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CONTENTS
Jewellry
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Coin Jewellery
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Intaglio Jewellry
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Classical Antiquities
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Asian & Near Eastern Antiquities
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Islamic Antiquities
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Chinese Antiquities
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Toledo Artefacts
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Decorative Artefacts
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J E W E L L RY
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The sacred beetle of ancient Egypt, the scarab is an emblem of the creator, Khepera. The word kepher denotes Being, Existence, Creation, or Becoming, and the god Kephera is the self-existent maker of all things. The worship of the scarab, which is symbolic of resurrection and fertility, dates from the earliest period of civilization in Egypt. Carved scarabs served two major functions: as amulets with protective and religious powers, and as personal seals, which designated the property and authority of the individual whose name was placed upon them. In both cases, the power ascribed to the scarab was very great—in life they served as the signature of their owner and were thought to bring prosperity, and in
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Gold Scarab Bracelet: MT.133 Circa: 21st Century CE Country of Origin: Egypt £3,500.00
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Silver twisted torque: MS.1190 Weight: 278 gr. £1500.00
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Byzantine Revival Gold Cross Pendant Inlaid with Garnets: OS.236 Circa: 20th Century CE Dimensions: 1.65” (4.19cm) x 1.9” (4.82cm) Country of Origin: Europe £5,000.00
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Gold Ring with Female Portrait Of An Empress: OS.353 Circa: 1800 CE - 1900 CE £3,600.00
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Gold Seal Ring: OS.184 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe £3,000.00
Gold Cameo Ring: OS.179 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe . £3,600.00
Byzantine Style Gold Seal Ring with Cross: OS.193 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe . £3,500.00
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Indian Necklace with Gold Foil Beads: N.132 Circa: 18th Century CE - 19th Century CE Dimensions: 31” (78.74cm) Country of Origin: India £3,000.00
Dark Blue Glass Necklace: N.071 Circa: 100 CE - 1200 CE Dimensions: 19.5” (49.53cm) Country of Origin: Mediterranean The gold elements are modern . £850.00
Gold Beaded Necklace: N.123 Circa: 19th Century CE - 20th Century CE Dimensions: 20” (50.8cm) Country of Origin: India . £2,400.00
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Incised Gold Ring: OS.188 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe £1,800.00
Gold Seal Ring: OS.186 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe . £3,000.00
Gold Seal Ring Featuring a Bee: OS.181 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe . £4,000.00
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22 Karat Gold Classical Revival Necklace: OS.275 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Dimensions: 21.25” (53.97cm) Country of Origin: Europe Weight: 45.1 gr. £3,000.00
Gold Necklace: OS.274 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Dimensions: 21” (53.34cm) Country of Origin: Mediterranean Weight: 31.1 gr. £3,200.00
22 Karat Gold Necklace: OS.273 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Dimensions: 20” (50.8cm) Weight: 54.4 gr. £3,200.00
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C O I N J E W E L L RY
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Gold Pendant with Silver Coin of Empress Julia Augusta: OS.453a Circa: 2nd Century CE Weight: 6.3 gr. Country of Origin: Mediterranean £600.00
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Silver Denarius of Shimon Barchochba Mounted in 18 Karat Gold: BF.080 Circa: 132 CE - 135 CE Weight: 10.2 gr. Country of Origin: Israel £900.00
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Sassanian Style Lapis Lazuli Intaglio Pendant in a Gold Mount: OS.264 Circa: 20th Century CE Dimensions: 1.15” (2.92cm) x 1.5” (3.81cm) Country of Origin: Iran £1,800.00
Sassanian Style Lapis Lazuli Intaglio Pendant in a Gold Mount: OS.263 Circa: 20th Century CE Dimensions: 1.25” (3.17cm) x 1.65” (4.19cm) Country of Origin: Iran £1,800.00
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Greek Silver Tetradrahm Of King Demetrios I: BF.070 Circa: 162 BCE-150 BCE Weight: 21.9 gr. Country of Origin: Mediterranean The gold mount is modern. £1,500.00
Gold Pendant with Silver Coin of King Alexander the Great: OS.452a Circa: 336 BCE - 323 BCE Weight: 6.6 gr. Country of Origin: Mediterranean The gold mount is modern. . £800.00
Silver Tetradrahm Of King Demetrios II Nicator: BF.076 Circa: 146 BCE - 139 BCE Country of Origin: Mediterranean The gold mount is modern. . £1,250.00
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Roman Bronze Coin of Emperor Crispus: BF.100 Circa: 317 CE - 326 CE Weight: 6.1 Gr The gold mount is modern. £360.00
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I N TAG L I O J E W E L L RY
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Circular silver Islamic ring with an engraved grey opal: MS.1492 Weight: 28 gr. £1,800.00
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Silver Islamic rhomboid ring with carnelian intaglio: MS.1488 Weight: 18 gr. £900.00
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Carnelian Seal Set in Gold Ring: OS.196 Circa: 18th Century CE - 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe The carnelian intaglio is depicting the bust of Emperor Constantine I 307-337 CE. £2,500.00
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Octagonal silver carnelian ring with Islamic inscription: MS.1608 Weight: 10 Gr £1,400.00
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Oval silver Islamic ring with carnelian intaglio of a helmeted figure: MS.1482 Weight: 24 gr. £1,600.00
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Silver Ring Featuring a Classical Revival Jasper Seal: OS.216 Circa: 1700 CE - 1900 CE This antique Classical Revival jasper seal has been mount in an antique silver ring. £2,400.00
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Intaglio Set in a Gold Pendant: OS.455 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE Dimensions: 1” (2.54cm) x 1” (2.54cm) Country of Origin: Europe £1.800
Intaglio Pendant: OS.067 Circa: 18th Century CE - 19th Century CE Dimensions: 1.25” (3.17cm) x 1.75 (4.44cm) Country of Origin: Europe £4,500.00
Carnelian Seal Set in Gold Ring: OS.199 Circa: 18th Century CE - 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe The Carnelian Intaglio depicts the goddess Artemis dating to the Roman Period 100-300 CE. £2,800.00
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Intaglio Set in a Gold Ring: OS.278 £2,400.00
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Onyx Intaglio Set in a Gold Pendant: OS.452 Country of Origin: Europe £3,300.00 55
Intaglio Set in a Gold Pendant: OS.453 Country of Origin: Europe £3,300.00
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Gold Intaglio Ring: OS.123 Circa: 17th Century CE - 18th Century CE Country of Origin: Europe £2,500.00
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Gold Ring Featuring a Classical Revival Yellow Agate Seal: OS.373 Circa: 19th Century CE This genuine classical revival agate seal has been mount in a modern 18 Karat gold ring. £2,200.00
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Carnelian Seal Set in Gold Ring: OS.195 Circa: 18th Century CE - 19th Century CE The Carnelian Intaglio is depicting the bust Of the Roman Emperor Trajan. 100-200 CE. £5,000.00
Intaglio Featuring King Demetrius I of Bactria in a Gold Mount: OS.269 Circa: 20th Century CE Dimensions: 1.75” (4.44cm) x 1.65” (4.19cm) Country of Origin: Central Asia £2,000.00
Carnelian Bead Necklace: N.012 Circa: 700 BCE - 300 CE Dimensions: 19” (48.26cm) Country of Origin: Afghanistan The gold elements are modern. £2,400.00
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CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES
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Apulian Terracotta Fish Plate: LA.539 Circa: 400 BCE - 300 BCE Dimensions: 10” (25.4cm) x 10” (25.4cm) Country of Mediterranean £36,000.00
The Greek fish plate was a circular dish for serving seafood. Its broad open form supported on a stemmed foot allowed the fish to be placed directly on the plate, while the juices would gather in the centre. This exceptionally large example features three fish, striped and with spiky dorsal fins, swimming counterclockwise. Between them three small scallops. a wave pattern is also applied to the overhanging rim and around the central depression.
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Exhibiting rather handsome and charming faces, these lion-headed appliqués would have been used as doorknockers to the home of a Roman aristocrat. Indeed, some can still be seen in situ at the site of Herculaneum, the town fossilized by Vesuvius in 79 A.D. along with neighbouring Pompeii. His features are gentle and welcoming, but as they are those of a lion, it marks the high class of the inhabitants of whose doorway he sits; lion hunting was the legendary pastime of the Homeric heroes and other elite warriors, thus associating with them garnered a feeling of wealth and class.
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Pair of Roman Bronze Lion Roundels with Handles: SF.010 Circa: 1st Century CE - 3rd Century CE Dimensions: 7.37” (18.8 cm) £8,000; £4,000 each
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Roman Gold and Pearl Earring: OS.070 Circa: 100 CE - 300 CE Dimensions: 1.9” (4.82cm) Country of Origin: Mediterranean This exquisite Roman earring is composed of a single pearl suspended from a gold wire, around which another wire has been tightly twisted. A granulated bead has been inserted just above the pearl, and further granulation can be found on the hoop. This has both a decorative and a practical function as the granulations serve to keep the pendant in place. In ancient Rome gold jewellery was worn by men and women of status, but was especially valued by the latter as a means of self-expression. Whereas male jewellery was often limited to a single gold finger ring, women wore much more elaborate ensembles. Indeed attempts by the state to limit such conspicuous display were met with strong resistance. In 195 BC, for example, women actually took to the streets and protested against the Oppian Law (passed in 215 BC) which attempted to curb the use of jewellery in times of war. Early Roman jewellery resembled Etruscan and Greek antecedents but by the 2nd century AD a discernible ‘Roman style’ had begun to emerge. In fact, despite their love of display, the Romans actually preferred simpler geometric designs to the extravagant mythological, figural and foliate creations of the Greeks. Goldsmiths were active in many centres of the Empire including Rome, Alexandria and Antioch but there was remarkable homogeneity in design. Likenesses of women wearing Roman jewellery have survived in the mosaics from Pompeii and Herculaneum, on Palmyran limestone funerary steles and most evocatively on the painted funerary portraits from Fayuum in Egypt. These images help to remind us this earring was once worn and treasured by a real person in antiquity. £3,500.00 Pair of Roman Twisted Gold Earrings: OS.260 Circa: 100 CE - 300 CE Dimensions: 1” (2.54cm) Country of Origin: Mediterranean This delicate pair of gold earrings are formed from spirally twisted wire which tapers at both ends. The fastening hoops are elaborate and an applied round boss survives on one of the earrings. In ancient Rome gold jewellery was worn by men and women of status, but was especially valued by the latter as a means of self-expression. Whereas male jewellery was often limited to a single gold finger ring, women wore much more elaborate ensembles. Indeed attempts by the state to limit such conspicuous display were met with strong resistance. In 195 BC, for example, women actually took to the streets and protested against the Oppian Law (passed in 215 BC) which attempted to curb the use of jewellery in times of war. Nearly three centuries later, the taste for fine gold amongst women was denounced by the author Pliny in his ‘Natural History.’ Early Roman jewellery resembled Etruscan and Greek antecedents but by the 2nd century AD a discernible ‘Roman style’ had begun to emerge. In fact, despite their love of display, the Romans actually preferred simpler geometric designs to the extravagant mythological, figural and foliate creations of the Greeks. Goldsmiths were active in many centres of the Empire including Rome, Alexandria and Antioch but there was remarkable homogeneity in design. Likenesses of women wearing Roman jewellery have survived in the mosaics from Pompeii and Herculaneum, on Palmyran limestone funerary steles and most evocatively on the painted funerary portraits from Fayuum in Egypt. These images help to remind us this pair of earrings was once worn and treasured by a real person in antiquity. £2,500.00
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Bronze hand holding dagger: PH.0152 Circa: 300 BCE - 100 CE Country of Origin: Mediterranean £3,000.00
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This simple yet charming bracelet would once have been worn around the upper arm of an upper class female. It is designed to be squeezed into the right size around the arm by placing the fingers under the curved terminals. Such jewellery was common and very popular during the Hellenistic era.
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Hellenistic Bronze Arm Band: LK.280 Circa: 300 BCE - 100 BCE Medium: Bronze Dimensions: 4.6 x 4.6” (11.68cm) Country of origin: Mediterranean £1,800.00
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Pair of Roman Gold Cupid Earrings: OS.456 Circa: 100 CE - 300 CE Dimensions: 1.1” (2.8cm) high £3,300.00
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Gnathian vases are a type of ancient South Italian ceramic production and vase painting of the 4th century BC.Their production began in Apulia around 370/360 BC and they are conventionally named after the ancient city of Gnathia (now Egnazia) on the coast of modern-day Eastern Puglia. It was in this location that the first examples of this particular style were discovered in the mid-19th century. Such vessels were produced in southern Italy for around one hundred year, from the mid 4th century B.C. until the late following century. With their glossy black glaze, and the frequent presence of gadroons and plastic edges, they tend to imitate metal ware. Typical of Gnathia vases is the application of different paints directly onto the glazed vase body. Additionally, internal details could be added by incision. The themes depicted include erotes, images from the life of women, theatre scenes and Dionysian motifs. Figural, painting is often limited to the upper half of the vessel body, while the bottom half often bears only an ornamental decoration. Epichysis is a kind of jug with a squat body, a high slender neck ending in a pinched beak-spout tilted sharply upward, and a high raised handle that slightly protrudes from the spout; Epichyses were used to serve wine or to fill oil lamps through their accurate spout. Our example is entirely black-glazed (except for the two clay-red colored bands that embellish the foot), and beautifully decorated: the high quality of the black glaze (glazed during the firing process) provides an ideal support for the decorative patterns painted in white or brownish/gold yellow highlights that occupy the belly of the vessel. The decoration is arranged in friezes whereas the main decor consists of a garland of alternating vine leaves and grapes.
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Gnathian Terracotta Black-glazed Epichysis: OF.209 Circa: 400 BCE - 300 BCE Dimensions: 3” (7.62cm) x 7” (17.78cm) Country of Origin: South Italian £5,000.00
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A charming representation of a household animal, this small bronze statuette of a dog may be a representation of someone’s pet, for a collar has been added to the animal showing its domestication, so too suggested by the lines on his nose representing a muzzle. He may once have had a long tail (now unfortunately lost) but the dog is full of character, for his tongue is shown hanging out, possibly suggesting that he was meant to be depicted as panting. Such a statuette may have been a simple ornament, furniture applique, or it could have been an image of a loved, deceased pet, and placed among similar statuettes of family members in the household shrine to pray for their protection and honour their memory. In ancient Rome the dog was seen as the loyal, devoted figure to his master, whether that master returns the devotion or not. The well-known mosaic, Cave Canem (Beware of Dog) shows how dogs were appreciated in Rome as guardians of homes just as they had been in earlier cultures and are still today. The great Latin poet Virgil, wrote, “Never, with dogs on guard, need you fear for your stalls a midnight thief ”(Georgics III, 404ff) and the writer Varro, in his work on how to live in the countryside, writes that every family should have two types of dog, a hunting dog and a watchdog (De Re Rustica I.21). The Romans had many pets, from cats to apes, but favored the dog above all others. Dogs feature in many mosaics, wall frescoes, in poetry and prose. There is a large series of Roman reliefs showing men and women with their canine companions. Dogs are mentioned in the Roman law code as guardians of the home and flocks. In one case which was recorded, a farmer brings a suit against his favored because the neighbour dogs rescued the farmer’s hogs from wolves and the neighbor’s then claimed ownership of the hogs. Varro claimed that no farm should be without two dogs and they should be kept indoors during the day and let free to roam at night in order to prevent just such a possibility as the one discussed above. He also suggested that a white dog should be chosen over a black one so that one could distinguish between one’s dog and a wolf in the darkness or the twilight of early morning.
Roman Bronze Dog: SF.015 Circa: 100 CE - 300 CE Dimensions: 4” (10.16cm) x 2.75” (6.99cm) Country of Origin: Mediterranean The carnelian intaglio is depicting the bust of Emperor Constantine I 307-337 CE. £5,000.00
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Roman Double Cosmetic Blown Glass Tube with Applied Decoration: BB.1619 Circa: 4th Century CE - 6th Century CE Dimensions: 4.3” (10.92) high Country of Origin: Bethelem £1,200.00
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Extremely light and delicate amphora shaped vessel with slightly rounded conical body, pointed dropshaped base, convex shoulder, short neck and flaring folded rim. Two handles applied from shoulder to below the rim. Containers of this type, which reproduce the same shape as larger terracotta amphorae used throughout antiquity to store and transport liquids (especially wine), belong to a well-known class of miniature amphorae of similar hue with the same decorative technique. Very popular in the 3rd and 4th century A.D. throughout the Roman Empire – several have been found in the Near East (Syria and Egypt) as well as in Western Europe – this particular piece comes from Jerusalem Used in different forms since the 2nd millennium B.C., glass definitely replaced clay as the raw material of choice for the manufacture of containers in all areas of daily life towards the end of the Hellenistic period. This event, which occurred gradually, is to be considered a major technological revolution of antiquity. With a versatility like no other known material in Roman times, abundant availability and lightness and ease of use, glass enabled the imitation of a wide range of other materials (especially precious metals), whether in the form, the design or the color. Furthermore - and the ancients had certainly noticed this fact - glass is a chemically neutral substance, what makes it particularly suitable for the storage of food, but also of cosmetics or pharmaceutical products.
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Roman Turquoise Green Glass Amphora Shaped Vessel: BB.1621 Circa: 3rd Century CE - 4th Century CE Dimensions: 4.3” (10.92) high Country of Origin: Jerusalem £1,400.00
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Mediterranean cobalt blue cosmetic glass flask: HB.033 Circa: 100 CE - 300 CE Medium: Glass Dimensions: 5” (12.7cm) £600.00
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The history of glass making before the Industrial revolution can be separated in two stages: in the first, which began in the 3rd millennium BC and ended in the period from 100 to 50 BC, craftsmen discovered how to transform raw materials into glass and how to make vessels and other objects either with moulds or by forming a molten glass around a removable core. Both techniques were labour-intensive and were seldom made in big quantities. In the second stage, beginning in the 1st century AD in the Syro-Palestinian region, glass workers found that molten glass could be formed by inflation and manipulation with tools. Glass blowing enabled them to make quickly a wide range of shapes, thus widening its market. However, after the 2nd century AD, glass is generally found in a more confined area. The change appears to have taken place under the Flavian Emperors (69-96 AD), an era that in many ways represents a watershed in the history of glass making. It is from this time onwards that glassblowing in the East and the West developed along independent lines, the only exception being fine tableware decorated with special techniques, which was probably due to the still unifying factor of the Roman Imperial administration. Yet, the most prolific period in the history of glass in the Eastern Mediterranean was during the late Roman Empire, when Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Cyprus, Asia Minor and the north Pontic region all had flourishing glass industries. With the increased demand for glass, regionalism became the dominant factor in the production of glass vessels. Marked regional differences existed not only between the glass made in Syria, Jordan and Palestine, but even between different parts of Palestine (inland vs coast; Galilee and Phoenicia vs Judea). The glass industries of these regions experienced a prolonged period of growth, and the late Roman and early Byzantine period were by far the most important not only in terms of absolute output but also in terms of typologies used. Only during this period, glass was finally used by different strata of societies, sometimes even replacing pottery for certain functions. The Palestinian glass industry flourished from the 4th to the early 5th century, following the rule of the Roman emperor Diocletian (284-305), when the region enjoyed a time of relative peace in spite of economic instability. When Constantine the Great finally emerged as sole ruler in 324, Palestine benefited from the fact that he targeted Jerusalem and the Holy Land as main recipients for his reconstruction program. Exempted from personal taxation by an Imperial edict in 337, a large number of skilled craftsmen profited greatly from the economic boom.
Roman Glass Bottle: BB.1602 Circa: 100 CE - 300 CE Dimensions: 6.1” (15.49cm) high Country of origin: Jericho £1,800.00
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An oil lamp is an object used to produce light for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and although not much common anymore, does continue to this day. Oil lamps are a form of lighting, and were used as an alternative to candles before the use of electric lights. Sources of fuel for oil lamps include a wide variety of plants such as nuts (walnuts, almonds) and seeds (sesame, olive, castor, flax). Also widely used were animals fats (butter, fish oil, shark liver, whale blubber, seals). The main external parts of a terracotta lamp are the shoulder, the pouring hole, the wick hole and the nozzle. The nozzle may be just an opening in the body of the lamp, or have an elongated shape. In some specific types of lamps, there is a groove on the upper part of the nozzle that runs along to the pouring hole to re-collect the oozing oil from the wick. Lamps can come with or without a handle and a handle may have different shapes. The most common is a ring shaped for the forefinger surmounted by a palmette, on which the thumb is pressed to stabilize the lamp. Other handles can be crescent shaped, triangular, or semi-ovular. The handleless lamps usually have an elongated nozzle, and sometimes have a lug rising diagonally from the periphery. Herodian oil lamps are considered to be mainly used by Jews. They are predominantly wheel made and rounded, furnished with a nozzle of concave sides. Herodian lamps are usually not decorated, and when decorated then the decoration tends to be rather simple. They date from the 1st century BC to the end of the 1st century AD and represent a very common find throughout the Israeli territory, with some examples having also been found in Jordan. The Herodian Dynasty was a royal dynasty of Edomite descent, ruling the Herodian Kingdom and later the Herodian Tetrarchy, as vassals of the Roman Empire. The Herodian dynasty began with Herod the Great, who assumed the throne of Judea with Roman support, bringing down the century long Hasmonean Kingdom. His kingdom lasted until his death in 4 BC, when it was divided between his sons as a Tetrarchy, which lasted for about 10 years and with a nominal title of kingship continuing until 92 AD., when the last Herodian monarch Agrippa II died and Rome assumed full power over his de jure
Herodian period oil Lamp: LK.331 Circa: 50 BCE - 50 CE Medium: Terracotta Dimensions: 2.44 (6.19cm) high x 3.19” (8.1cm) wide Country of origin: Eastern Mediterranean £240.00
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Terra sigillata wares were the classic fine wares of the Roman period. The roots of the industry go back to Italy during the 1st Century B.C. Building on the foundations of a pre-existing industry dedicated to black-slipped ware, the glossy red-slipped terra sigillata wares were first produced at Arezzo, in northern Tuscany. The industry expanded, and factories producing Italian-type sigillata were founded across the Mediterranean world, notably southern France and northern Spain. By the 3rd-4th Century A.D., the center of terra sigillata production had shifted south, to the shores of Roman North Africa. From the great port of Carthage, these wares were exported throughout the Mediterranean world and representative examples have been found from Israel to England. Characterized by a red-orange to redbrown clay and a slip of a more refined version of the same clay, these glossy household vessels were decorated by relief figures and stamped designs. This type of lamp is closely related to the production of African terra sigillata ware. Yet their exact origin is unknown, while some suggest Tunisia, others have indicated either Egypt or Cyrenaica. A lamp such as this might have lit homes when the Roman Empire ruled the world. A metaphor of joy and prosperity, for hope, for life itself, lamps have illuminated the path of civilization for centuries. They have guided great thoughts through the night, stood vigil with lonely passions. In the presence of this simple object, we are in touch directly with a vanished world, with the people once warmed by its glow. Today it remains as an enduring symbol of man’s desire to conquer the darkness.
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Early Christian Terracotta Oil Lamp: AM.0424 Circa: 200 CE - 400 CE Dimensions: 3.5 (8.89cm) high x 5.7” (14.48cm) wide Country of origin: Tunisia £1,200.00
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Early Christian Terracotta Oil Lamp Depicting a Rooster: AM.0412 Circa: 200 CE - 400 CE Dimensions: 3.1 (7.87cm) high x 5.25” (13.33cm) wide Country of origin: Tunisia £500.00
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A lamp such as this might have lit homes during the flower of the Classical age. A metaphor of joy and prosperity, for hope, for life itself, lamps have illuminated the path of civilization for centuries. They have guided great thoughts through the night, stood vigil with lonely passions. In the presence of this simple object, we are in touch directly with a vanished world, with the people once warmed by its glow. Today it remains as an enduring symbol of man’s desire to conquer the darkness. This particular lamp features an attenuated nozzle that helps characterize it as Hellenistic. Moreover, lavish patterning adorns the shoulders of the vessel while two unique decorative elements adorn both sides. 95
Hellenistic Oil Lamp: LK.315 Circa: 300 BCE - 100 BCE Medium: Terracotta Dimensions: 2.95” (7.49cm) high x 4.76” (12.09cm) wide Country of origin: Mediterranean £350.00
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ASIAN & NEAR EASTERN ANTIQUITIES
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The Shan people are a distinct ethnic group that today constitute Myanmar’s largest minority group. However, from the 13th until the 16th Century, they dominated most of the country. They are largely Buddhist, and their language and customs are closely related to the Thai and Laotians, their neighbors to the south and east. In the 19th Century, long after their power had eroded, they were distributed among thirty petty states that paid tribute first to the Burman King, then to the British. This arrangement remained more or less in tact until 1922 when the Federated Shan States were joined together. In 1947, a unified Shan States was created under the Burmese Constitution. Although much of their autonomy has been relinquished to the central government, the Shan retain their unique cultural identity and ethnic heritage. The historical figure, Buddha Gautama Sakyamuni is the Buddha of compassion who, having achieved the highest evolutionary perfection, turns suffering into happiness for all living beings. Born around 560 B.C. somewhere between the hills of south Nepal and the Rapti river, his father was a Raja who ruled over the northeastern province of India, the district including the holy Ganges River. The young prince was married to Yashoda when he was about 17 years old and together they had a son named Rahula. At the age of 29, he left his life of luxury, as he felt compelled to purify his body and make it an instrument of the mind by ridding himself of earthly impulses and temptations.
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Shan Marble Buddha Head: TF.030 Circa: 1700 CE - 1800 CE Dimensions: 8.25” (20.95cm) x 13” (33.02cm) £18,500
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Achaemenid ronze bossed patera: PH.0146 Circa: 500 BCE - 400 BCE Country of Origin: Near East £5,000.00
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The Indus Valley civilization was rediscovered in 1920-21 when engraved seals were unearthed in the Punjab province of Pakistan at a site called Harappa, a name which is often used to describe the civilization as a whole. Subsequent excavations at Harappa revealed the size and complexity of this ancient city. Other sites were unearthed as well along the banks of the Indus River, including the equally large city of Mohenjodaro. Through archaeological and historical research, we can now say for certain that a highly developed urban civilization flourished in the Indian subcontinent over five thousand years ago. Though the Indus Valley script remains undeciphered, the numerous seals, statuary, and pottery discovered during excavations, not to mention the urban ruins, have enabled scholars to construct a reasonably plausible account of the Indus Valley civilization. Some kind of centralized state, and certainly fairly extensive town planning, is suggested by the layout of the great cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The same kind of burnt brick appears to have been used in the construction of buildings in cities that were several hundred miles apart. The weights and measures also show a very considerable regularity, suggesting that these disparate cities spread out across a vast desert shared a common culture. The Indus Valley people domesticated animals, and harvested various crops, such as cotton, sesame, peas, barley, and cotton. Indus Valley seals have been excavated in far away cities such as Sumer, suggesting that a wealthy merchant class existed, engaged in extensive trading throughout the subcontinent and the Near East. Other than the archaeological ruins of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, these seals provide the most detailed clues about the character of the Indus Valley people. Bulls and elephants appear on these seals, but the horned bull, most scholars agree, should not be taken to be congruent with Nandi, for the horned bull appears in numerous Central Asian figures as well. The women portrayed on the seals are shown with elaborate coiffures, sporting heavy jewelry, suggesting that the Indus Valley people were an urbane people with cultivated tastes and a refined aesthetic sensibility. A few thousand seals have been discovered in Indus Valley cities, showing some 400 pictographs: too few in number for the language to have been ideographic, and too many for the language to have been phonetic.
Indus Valley Terracotta Figurine of a Standing Fertility Goddess: SF.160 Circa: 3000 BCE - 2000 BCE Dimensions: 3.75” (9.52cm) wide x 8.5” (21.59cm) high Country of Origin: Pakistan/Western Indian £2,000.00
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Indus Valley Terracotta Figurine of a Fertility Goddess: LK.243 Circa: 2800 BCE - 2000 BCE Dimensions: 1.37” (3.48cm) wide x 5.9” (14.99cm) high Country of Origin: India/Pakistan £1,600.00
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According to tradition Buddhism was first introduced into the Gandharan region under the patronage of Asoka, emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, in the third century B.C. The first significant physical remains to survive, including stupas and figurative sculpture, date from the first century B.C. Between c.100-400 A.D. sculptors working in schist, terracotta and stucco produced an astonishing number and variety of Buddhist images. Gandhara was situated at the crossroads between east and west and thus came under a wide variety of artistic influences including Persian, Greek and Indian. It also became an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from across Asia as it was claimed that events from the Buddha’s former lives had occurred in the area. This stucco head displays the Gandharan tendency to combine realism around the nose, mouth and cheek areas with deeply cut stylised eyes. Small traces of the original polychromy survive, for example remains of a red pigment in the earlobes and around the hair-line. Traces of black are also apparent in the curls of the hair. The hair is arranged in a top-knot. This was the Gandharan version of the ushnisha, a mound on the head which symbolised the Buddha’s spiritual wisdom. Traces of an urna, or third eye, are also just visible on the forehead, outlined in red. The bottom of both earlobes has been lost but it is still possible to make out their elongated form. This was a reference to the Buddha’s former wealth, symbolised by the effect of wearing heavy earrings. Despite small areas of loss, the serenity of the expression, partly created through the downcast eyes, has been preserved.
Gandharan Stucco Buddha Head: AM.0216 Circa: 100 CE - 300 CE Dimensions: 7.5” (19.05cm) Country of Origin: Central Asia £4,000.00
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The ancient civilization of Gandhara was located in the region encompassing modern northeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Situated at a confluence of trading paths along the Silk Route, the area was flooded in diverse cultural influences ranging from Greece to China. Gandhara flourished under the Kushan Dynasty and their great king, Kanishka, who is traditionally given credit for spreading the philosophies of Buddhism throughout central Asia and into China. This period is viewed as the most important era in the history of Buddhism. After the conquests of Alexander the Great, the creation of Greco-Bactrian kingdoms, and the general Hellenization of the subcontinent, Western aesthetics became prominent. Greek influence began permeating into Gandhara. Soon sculptors based the images of the Buddha on Greco-Roman models, depicting Him as a stocky and youthful Apollo, complete with stretched earlobes and loose monastic robes similar to a Roman toga. The extraordinary artistic creations of Gandhara reveal link between the different worlds of the East and West. Despite surviving in fragmentary form, this stucco head still impresses us with its calm and dignified expression. The mouth and nose have been carved naturalistically but the eyes are highly stylised. This is typical of Gandharan images of the Buddha which this head most likely represents.
Gandharan Stucco Head: AM.0220 Circa: 100 CE - 400 CE Dimensions: 5.5” (13.97cm) Country of Origin: Central Asia £5,000.00
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Cast bronze incense burner in the form of an elephant standing upon integral rectangular base with four zoomorphic feet and openwork lobed cartouche at centre; cylindrical shaft emanates from back of elephant forming support for detachable bowl with beveled rim; tooled decoration over whole. This superb bronze incense burner was produced during a period of Muslim dominance in India. Having been established by Turko-Afghan tribes during 12th century, the Delhi Sultanate would extend Islam’s firm hold over India for the next 500 years. This period saw a succession of Turko-Afghan dynasties and the synthesis of Islamic and Indian culture; political institutions evolved in response to Indian conditions and Hindu rulers, if they paid fealty to the Sultans were welcome at royal activities. By 16th century Islamic and Indian elements reflected a balanced synthesis, which only grew stronger over time. Many Hindus spoke Persian and actively cultivated Iranian culture, even converting to Islam by marriage. This synthesis is naturally reflected and reiterated in the arts. Metalwork was one of the major decorative arts of this period and we see the perpetration of Indo-Islamic forms initiated during the early Sultanate period. The accentuated, near-feline form of the elephant finds parallels in the abstracted felines of contemporary Islamic metalwork, which themselves borrow heavily from the Persian tradition. A clear preference for stylization over naturalistic articulation is evident from, among other elements, the block treatment of the limbs, high undulating trunk and tail and twin pointy ears. The incised detailing, tooled rosettes and arabesque to the bowl similarly derive from both Islamic and pre-Islamic sources and articulate the spread of Central Asian stylistic influence in India. The stark stylistic differences between this elephant and that of a Mughal incense burner of 17th century at British Museum appear to indicate this piece heralds from pre-Mughal India. 111
Indian Bronze Incense Burner in the Form of an Elephant: LO.1400 Circa: 13th Century CE - 17th Century CE Dimensions: 8.1” (20.57cm) x 10” (25.4cm) Country of Origin: India £40,000.00
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Indus Valley Early Bronze Age javelin head: MA.309 Circa: 2700 CCE - 2300 BCE £4,500.00
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Parthian Gold Earring: OS.069 Circa: 1st Century CE - 2nd Century CE Dimensions: 1.75” (4.44cm) Country of Origin: Central Asia The earring is in the form of an amphoriskos with three voluted handles. The body is composed of globules and decorated with clustered granules. £5,000.00
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Silver filigree Ottoman circular-shaped belt buckles: MS.1527 Dimensions: 6.5” (16.51cm) x 4.5” (11.43cm) Weight: 488 gr. £5,000.00
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Mughal painting is a particular style of South Asian painting confined to miniatures either as book illustrations or as single works to be kept in albums (muraqqa). It emerged from Persian miniature painting (itself partly of Chinese origin), and developed largely in the court of the Mughal Empire of the 16th to 18th centuries. The Mughal emperors were Muslims and they are credited with consolidating Islam in South Asia, and spreading Muslim (and particularly Persian) arts and culture as well as the faith. [1] Mughal painting immediately took a much greater interest in realistic portraiture than was typical of Persian miniatures. Animals and plants were the main subject of many miniatures for albums, and were more realistically depicted. Although many classic works of Persian literature continued to be illustrated, as well as Indian works, the taste of the Mughal emperors for writing memoirs or diaries, begun by Babur, provided some of the most lavishly decorated texts, such as the Padshahnama genre of official histories. Subjects are rich in variety and include portraits, events and scenes from court life, wild life and hunting scenes, and illustrations of battles. The Persian tradition of richly decorated borders framing the central image was continued, as was a modified form of the Persian convention of an elevated viewpoint. The Mughal painting style later spread to other Indian courts, both Muslim and Hindu, and later Sikh, and was often used to depict Hindu subjects. This was mostly in northern India. It developed many regional styles in these courts, tending to become bolder but less refined. These are often described as “postMughal”, “sub-Mughal” or “provincial Mughal”. The mingling of foreign Persian and indigenous Indian elements was a continuation of the patronisation of other aspects of foreign culture as initiated by the earlier Turko-Afghan Delhi Sultanate, and the introduction of it into the subcontinent by various Central Asian Turkish dynasties, such as the Ghaznavids.
Mughal Empire Narrative Manuscript / Painting: MA.201 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE £5,000.00
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The Mughal School of Painting is characterized with Indo Persian style. Mughal Emperors Akbar and Jahangir were great patrons of paintings and possessed innate sense to distinguish works of art. Akbar considered artists as equivalent to God as according to him they executed pictures, which resembled the exact image of the human beings who were a creation of God. The episode between Jahangir and the English Ambassador Sir Thomas Roe provides an insight to the artistic merit of the Indian painters. Jahangir asked Roe to identify an original European painting placed alongside five copies of it made by the Indian painters. The brilliance and similarity of the paintings completely foxed the English Ambassador. The Miniatures and Illustrated manuscripts mirror the cultural legacy and spirit of the Mughal art.
Mughal Empire Narrative Manuscript / Painting: MA.204 Circa: 17th Century CE - 19th Century CE £4,000.00
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Copper ewer: MS.1207 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 9” (22.86cm) high Country of Origin: India £4,000.00
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Papier-mâché is French and literally translates as “chewed paper”; this term currently describes objects made by moulding paper pulp in various shapes and then having them decorated with multicoloured designs. Kashmir papier-mâché is a handicraft typical of the region of Kashmir that was introduced by Muslims from Persia during the 15th century and is based primarily on paper pulp being transformed into a richly decorated, colourful artifact, generally in the form of vases, bowls, or cups, boxes, trays, bases of lamps, and many other small objects. During the Mughal era, its use was extended to include many items of home furniture which were also made in Kashmir. Nowadays Papier-mâché objects are made in homes and workshops, in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley, and are marketed primarily within India, although there is a significant international market as well. Kashmir is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term “Kashmir” denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range. Nowadays, it denotes a much larger area that includes the Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and Chinese- administered territories of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract.
Beautiful Kashmiri Papier-mâché urn-type lidded vase, decorated by birds flying among dense foliage: MS.1962 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 9.5” (24.1cm) high £3,000.00
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Kashmiri silver bowls: CB.152 Circa: 1900 BCE Dimensions: 3” (7.6cm) high x 5” (12.7cm) wide £2,400.00
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ISLAMIC ANTIQUITIES
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Pair of French workshop Islamic inspired gilded glass plates: MS.1744 £4,000.00
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Brilliantly coloured Qajar period papier mâché large wall charger: MS.1954 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 3” (7.62cm) x 19” (48.26cm) Country of Origin: Iran £2,400.00
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Silver circular talisman with Islamic inscription: MS.1528 Weight: 32 Gr £450.00
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Silver oval talisman with central incised floral motif and Islamic inscription around the border: MS.1529 Dimensions: 3” (7.6cm) wide Weight: 12 Gr £200.00
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CHINESE ANTIQUITIES
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Chinese plate in white and blue with the figure of a dragon: CB.3479 £3,000.00
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The inscription on the bottom bears the name of Prince Gong Mansion, better known in English as Prince Kung or Gong. He was an imperial prince of the Aisin Gioro clan and an important statesman of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in China. He was a regent of the empire from 1861 to 1865 AD.
Peking Glass with Carnelian lid - ES.8506 Circa: 1861 CE - 1865 CE Dimensions: 2.9” (7cm) high x 2” (5cm) wide £3,500.00
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Inside Painted Glass Snuff Bottle with Carnelian stone lid: ES.6670 Circa: 1880 CE - 1912 CE Dimensions: 4” (10cm) high x 2.4” (5.5cm) wide £4,500.00
Beautiful example of Qing Dynasty snuff bottle inside painted by the famous Ding Erzhong. The bottle is signed on the left next to the blue bird. The scenes on both sides represent different birds in pleasant landscapes.
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This exquisite snuff bottle is decorated with delicate and beautiful floral motifs. The composition is made of different flowers, as lilies, peonies, magnolias, and pears and plums flowers. The lid is made of a piece of Carnelian stone. The inscription at the bottom reads “Made in Qianlong period” (17361796).
Qianlong Period Enamelled Glass Snuff Bottle with Carnelian lid - ES.7012 Circa: 1736 CE - 1796 CE Dimensions: 3.5” (9cm) high x 2” (5cm) wide £5,000.00
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Chinese enamelled small lidded jar: MS.1967 Dimensions: 4” (10.2cm) high Additional Information: Pair to MS.1966/ C £2,500.00
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Chinese enamelled small lidded jar: MS.1966 Dimensions: 4” (10.2cm) high Additional Information: Pair to MS.1967/ C £2,500.00
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Small enamelled Chinese plate: MS.1972 Dimensions: 3.7” (9.4cm) depth £400.00
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Small enamelled Chinese plate: MS.1971 Dimensions: 3.7” (9.4cm) depth £400.00
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TOLEDO A RT E FA C T S
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An Alhambra style gold overlaid letter opener in the form of a dagger (Toledo workshop): MS.1269 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 7” (17.78cm) Country of Origin: Spain £5,000.00
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An Alhambra style gold overlaid letter opener in the form of a duelling sword (Toledo workshop): MS.1275 Circa: 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Spain £3,000.00
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An Alhambra style gold inlaid vase (Toledo workshop): MS.1418 Circa: 19th Century CE Country of Origin: Spain £3,600.00
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An Alhambra style, gold overlaid, casket: CB.120 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 2” (5.1cm) high x 4” (10.2cm) wide x 2” (5.1cm) depth £4,500.00
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Damascening is the art of inlaying different metals into one another—typically, gold or silver are inlaid into a darkly oxidized steel background—to produce intricate patterns, much similar to the technique of niello. The English term derives from a perceived resemblance to the rich tapestry patterns of damask silk. The technique of niello -a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal- has been attested in prehistoric Greece, with the earliest occurrence of damascening in the Aegean being a dagger from the Shaft Graves of Mycenae, dating to the latest Middle Bronze Age/Middle Helladic IIIB period (2000 BC. ca) Cities that are known for a rich history in Damascening and in which the art is still practiced are Malaysia, Indonesia, Toledo in Spain, Eibar in the Basque Country and Kyoto in Japan. The art of Damascening arrived to Toledo directly from Damascus and developed a very important industry around this craft, also known as Toledo Gold. The art of damascene has passed from generation to generation within the same family for centuries, and has become a hallmark of the city.
Toledo workshop damascened cigarette case: CB.121 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 3.5” (8.9cm) high x 3” (7.6cm) wide £3,000.00
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The damascening art, which consists in inlaying noble metals on iron or steel, has its origin in similar works that go back to ancient times. Damascene-style work is said to have been practiced by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, but was developed into a high art by the craftsmen of Damascus, Syria more than 2,000 years ago. It was first introduced to Spain by the Moors who conquered the peninsula in 711 AC (Al-Andalus). Toledo, so open through the centuries to the aesthetics and cultural contributions of various cultures and people, maintained this amazing tradition thanks to the vocation and ability of its master craftsmen. 167
Toledo workshop damascened cigarette case: CB.154 Circa: 1900 BCE Dimensions: 3.5” (8.9cm) high x 2” (5.1cm) wide £2,500.00
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An Alhambra style gold inlaid vase: CB.116 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 5.5” (14.0cm) high £2,400.00
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An Alhambra style Toledo workshop gold inlaid vase: CB.118 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 5.5” (14.0cm) high £2,400.00
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An Alhambra style gold inlaid vase: CB.117 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 7” (17.8cm) high £2,400.00
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175 Gold inlaid elegant vase in the shape of a water- jug, with a scene representing Don Quixote De la Mancha with his faithful squire Sancho Panza embracing, when the latter leaves for Granada, a scene taken from the literary work of Miguel de Cervantes. Damascening is the art of inlaying different metals into one another—typically, gold or silver are inlaid into a darkly oxidized steel background—to produce intricate patterns, much similar to the technique of niello. The English term derives from a perceived resemblance to the rich tapestry patterns of damask silk. The technique of niello -a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal- has been attested in prehistoric Greece, with the earliest occurrence of damascening in the Aegean being a dagger from the Shaft Graves of Mycenae, dating to the latest Middle Bronze Age/Middle Helladic IIIB period (2000 BC. ca) Cities that are known for a rich history in Damascening and in which the art is still practiced are Malaysia, Indonesia, Toledo in Spain, Eibar in the Basque Country and Kyoto in Japan. The art of Damascening arrived to Toledo directly from Damascus and developed a very important industry around this craft, also known as Toledo Gold. The art of damascene has passed from generation to generation within the same family for centuries, and has become a hallmark of the city.
Damascened interlaced with gold elegant Toledo workshop vase with handle: MS.1293 Dimensions: 7” (17.8cm) high £2,200.00
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Octagonal Toledo workshop gold inlaid pill-box: MS.1263 Dimensions: 2” (5.1cm) high x 3” (7.6cm) wide x 1” (2.5cm) depth £1,200.00
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An Alhambra style gold inlaid circular dish (Toledo workshop) 19th Century: MS.1337 Circa: 1870 CE - 1910 CE £1,500.00
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An Alhambra style, gold inlaid, pin-dish (Toledo workshop): MS.1265 Circa: 19th Century Dimensions: 4.5” (11.4cm) high x 4.5” (11.4cm) wide £800.00
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183 Gold inlaid rectangular cigarette case with the Palacio de Monterrey in Salamanca. The Monterrey palace is located in the centre of the city of Salamanca and it was constructed in the Italian Renaissance style for don Alonso de Zúñiga y Acevedo Fonseca, the 3rd count of Monterrey in 1539. It has been declared a Historic National Monument of Spain since 1929. Damascening is the art of inlaying different metals into one another—typically, gold or silver are inlaid into a darkly oxidized steel background—to produce intricate patterns, much similar to the technique of niello. The English term derives from a perceived resemblance to the rich tapestry patterns of damask silk. The technique of niello -a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal- has been attested in prehistoric Greece, with the earliest occurrence of damascening in the Aegean being a dagger from the Shaft Graves of Mycenae, dating to the latest Middle Bronze Age/Middle Helladic IIIB period (2000 BC. ca) Cities that are known for a rich history in Damascening and in which the art is still practiced are Malaysia, Indonesia, Toledo in Spain, Eibar in the Basque Country and Kyoto in Japan. The art of Damascening arrived to Toledo directly from Damascus and developed a very important industry around this craft, also known as Toledo Gold. The art of damascene has passed from generation to generation within the same family for centuries, and has become a hallmark of the city.
Toledo workshop damascened cigarette case: MS.1264 Dimensions: 3” (7.6cm) high x 3.5” (8.9cm) wide £4,000.00
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Elaborate wax-seal, personalised and monogrammed with the letter “A”. Damascening is the art of inlaying different metals into one another—typically, gold or silver are inlaid into a darkly oxidized steel background—to produce intricate patterns, much similar to the technique of niello. The English term derives from a perceived resemblance to the rich tapestry patterns of damask silk. The technique of niello -a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal- has been attested in prehistoric Greece, with the earliest occurrence of damascening in the Aegean being a dagger from the Shaft Graves of Mycenae, dating to the latest Middle Bronze Age/Middle Helladic IIIB period (2000 BC. ca) Cities that are known for a rich history in Damascening and in which the art is still practiced are Malaysia, Indonesia, Toledo in Spain, Eibar in the Basque Country and Kyoto in Japan. The art of Damascening arrived to Toledo directly from Damascus and developed a very important industry around this craft, also known as Toledo Gold. The art of damascene has passed from generation to generation within the same family for centuries, and has become a hallmark of the city.
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Toledo Workshop Damascened Seal: CB.93 Circa: 19th Century CE - 20th Century CE Dimensions: 2.5” (6.35cm) £5,000.00
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DECORATIVE A RT E FA C T S
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French Glass Perfume Bottle with Gold Decoration: HK.2602 Circa: 1900 CE Dimensions: 8.66” (22.0cm) high x 3.54” (9.0cm) wide x 3.54” (9.0cm) depth £5,000.00
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Each of the rams has been modelled with the four gilt bronze legs tucked underneath the body, the enamels consisting of stylised vegetal elements in a vivid ochre and yellow colour against an intense green background. Each head in a raised alert posture is turned slightly to one side and is surmounted by gilt horns. There is an oval lidded opening on the back of each of the figurines. Enamelling is a meticulous and extremely time- consuming craft. Enamels are a form of glass coloured with metallic oxides and applied as a paste, usually to a metallic body, generally of copper, although other metals may be also used. When the object is fired in a kiln to an appropriate temperature, the enamels melt and fuse to the body. The object is then cooled and its surface is polished to a high-gloss finish. There are various enamelling techniques. The simplest is champlevé, where a pattern or design is carved out of a metallic body, with the enamel paste then applied into the resulting hollow, the piece being in consequence fired and finally polished. In cloisonné enamelling, fine wires are used to delineate the areas destined for decoration (cloisons in French, hence cloisonné) into which the enamel paste is then applied before the object is fired and finally polished. These fine wires serve a dual function: they can be an integral part of the decoration while at the same time preventing the molten enamels from flowing into adjoining areas during firing.
Pair of cloisonné ram figurines: CB.166 Circa: 1850 CE - 1900 CE Dimensions: 4.2” (10.7cm) high x 4” (10.2cm) wide £5,000.00
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Pair of Chinese cloisonné vases (2): MS.1057 £5,000.00
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Plate decorated in Blue and White style: CB.3510 £5,000.00
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Bowl on ring foot internally decorated with floral pattern in White and Blue: CB.3514 £4,500.00
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Plate decorated with coastal scenery and pagoda in the background: CB.3511 £3,000.00
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Plate with floral decoration in white and blue: CB.3480 £2,400.00
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White and blue Danish porcelain dessert serving plate with delicate vegetal decoration: CB.3445 Circa: 20th Century CE £1,800.00
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Set of cup and saucer in White and Blue porcelain: CB.3516 £600.00
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Trio of round heavily gilded enamelled ruby colour glass powder or jewellery boxes, possibly by the Bohemian glass workshop of Moser.
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Set of three glass enamelled boxes: CB.157 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 2.2” (5.6cm) high x 3.2” (8.1cm) wide £4,500.00
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Qatar period glazed vase with peacocks among flora: CB.3137 Circa: 19th Century CE £3,600.00
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Cantonese Famille Rose two handled and lidded porcelain sugar bowl, with birds and butterflies among floral borders. Famille Rose sugar bowl: MS.1052 Dimensions: 5” (12.7cm) high x 4.2” (10.7cm) wide £3,600.00
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Albarello or pharmacy jar decorated by stylised vegetal elements on tin-glazed earthenware, probably from a workshop in Manises, Valencia. Hispano-Moresque lustreware apothecary vase: CB.151 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 9” (22.9cm) high £3,000.00
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The Faïencerie Longchamp was inaugurated and begun being active in 1833, on the site of an earlier tile manufacture. Based on the dexterity of it’s employees and on the quality of it’s designs, the fabric became increasingly important at the point of employing in 1879, 130 women and 171 men. The golden age of Longchampp Ceramics lasted until the early 80s, then the firm passed to several other ceramic industries, Villeroy and Boch in particular (1990-1997), and gently declining, until it’s its effective liquidation in 2009. The present vases are of the series “Persan”, inspired by Persian decorative patterns and are to be dated in the interwar period.
Pair of Longchamp ceramic French vases: CB.188 Circa: 1916 CE - 1936 CE Dimensions: 23” (58.4cm) high £3,000.00
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Silver perfume sprinkler in the shape of a pear: CB.149 Dimensions: 6.5” (16.51cm) high £3,300.00
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Rock Crystal Paperweight: ES.8544 Circa: 19th Century CE Dimensions: 1.7” (4.3cm) high x 2.5” (6.4cm) wide £600.00
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Horn lidded capsule case: CB.3159 £500.00
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Gilt bronze ormolu mounted on pedestal French Sevres porcelain oval bowl and cover, decorated by pastoral scenes and flower bouquets. Marked, D interlaced, 1756 ca.
Porcelain bowl mounted on gilded bronze pedestal: MS.1167 Dimensions: 10” (25.4cm) x 9” (22.86cm) x 5” (12.7) £5,000.00
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Hymnal and prayer booklet in ivory cover, binding and clasp, with the tittle :”Paroissien Romain, contenant les Offices des Dimanches et des Principales Fetes”, printed in Limoges, by the printers Dalpayrat and Depelley, in 1891. Prayer booklet in ivory cover: CB.88 Circa: 1891 CE Dimensions: 4.5” (11.4cm) high x 3” (7.6cm) wide x 1” (2.5cm) depth £3,000.00
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London
58 Brook St, Mayfair London, W1K 5DT +44 (0) 20 7493 7778 info@barakatgallery.eu www.barakatgallery.eu
Seoul
58-4, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea +82 02 730 1949 barakat@barakat.kr www.barakat.kr Los Angeles 941 N La Cienega Blvd Los Angeles CA 90069 +1 310 859 8408 contact@barakatgallery.com www.barakatgallery.com Front cover image credits to Barakat Seoul.