Specialties
|
X-Rare Coptic Papyrus Burial Scroll with Text
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Egyptian:
Pre AD 1000 item# 1004874
|
click for details
|
Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$1,865.00
|
This extremely rare piece is a Coptic scroll that is made from papyrus, and it dates circa 2nd-4th century A.D. This piece is approximately 4.1 inches long by 1 inch in diameter at its thickest point. This piece was rolled several times, and unrolled, it would be approximately 4.1 inches wide by 7.76 inches long. This superb piece has lines of black text that was written into the papyrus, and the scroll was rolled with the written text facing on the outer side, as the inner back side layer of the scroll can be viewed on the inside. The text on this scroll is written in lines that run horizontally across the piece, and the lines continue down to the bottom of the document, as the black ink of these lines can partly be seen through the papyrus from the inside of the scroll. Papyrus was the material of choice by the Coptic scribes of the past, and papyrus was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, cut in stripes, and then pressed together in a grid fashion. These grids can also be clearly seen within the scroll offered here. The Coptic culture was one of the earlist Christian groups to have developed in the Holy Land, with the majority living in ancient Egypt as they do today. The extremely rare document offered here is in mint to superb condition, as it was probably protected from the elements in a clay jar or wooden box during burial. With the Hellenization of Alexandria, Egypt, Greek manuscripts flooded Egypt, and it is no accident that poems by Sappho, the first book of the Homeric "Iliad", and the satirical drama "Ichneutae", by Sophocles, were amoung the Coptic scrolls discovered in the last century. The piece offered here may contain elements of a Christian religious psalm or ancient Greek poem, as this scroll has not been translated. The majority of these early Coptic burial scrolls contain Christian-style magical texts that are written in Coptic-Greek (Sahidic dialect.), and the Greek alphabet is basically used in the Coptic language with the addition of seven characters derived from "Demotic", which was the common language of the ancient Egyptians. According to A.F Shore (See Christian and Coptic Egypt", Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1971, p.420-424.), a number of magical texts survived from the first three centuries A.D., and are characterized by the use of Greek letters and a large number of demotic signs known as "Old Coptic". The text of the piece offered here likely fits into the catagory as a Christian-style magical text as noted above, but nothing is certain until this scroll is unrolled in a laboratory and fully translated, and as such, this piece would make an excellent study piece. The piece offered here is somewhat hard and brittle, and can only be unrolled under laboratory conditions, and is being offered in its superb "as found" condition. In addition, there are some spotty white calcite deposits that are seen within the scroll as well as on the outer surfaces. This piece is an extremely rare Christian relic that is hard to find in this condition, and most Coptic texts offered on the market are fragments, and are not a complete document as offered here. A custom plexiglas display case is included that fully seals this piece from the elements, and one can easily lift off the top clear plexiglas display lid from the black plexiglas base. For more reading see, Merrill Parvis, "New Testament Manuscript Studies: The Materials and the Making of a Critical Apparatus", University of Chicago Press, 1950. Ex: G. Sasson collection, Jerusalem. Ex: Private New York collection. Ex: Pierre Berge & Associates, Archeologie, Paris, May 2011, no. 138. (Additional documentation is available to the purchaser, including a French Passport Certificate.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
|
|
Egyptian Alabaster Cosmetic Aryballos
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Egyptian:
Stone:
Pre AD 1000 item# 859366
|
click for details
|
Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$865.00
|
This nice Egyptian vessel is an aryballos which probably held a cosmetic and/or a precious unguent. This piece dates to the Late Period, circa 550-330 B.C., and is approximately 2.5 inches high. This intact piece has a nice dark brown patina with some minute wear on the outer rim, which indicates this piece was used in antiquity and was not a votive object. This piece also has two small lug handles which allows one to easily grip this vessel. This piece is also very translucent when it is back lit and/or when it is placed outside in the daylight. This piece sits on a custom marble black base and an old French collector tag is included. Ex: Private French collection. Ex: S. Linde collection, Berlin, Germany. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
|
|
Egyptian Basalt Mace Head, Predynastic Period
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Egyptian:
Stone:
Pre AD 1000 item# 806267
|
click for details
|
Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$925.00
|
This mint quality piece is an Egyptian black basalt mace-head that dates to the Predynastic Period, Nagada I/Nagada II, circa 4000-3500 B.C. This piece is approximately 2.75 inches high, and has a near perfect globular form. There is a bow drilled hole that runs through the center, and there is wear on the outer edges at each end of the hole. This may be due to the fact that a leather thong was attached through the central perforation, and could have produced wear to the outer edges of the hole at each end. A leather thong was preferred over a rigid shaft that was directly attached to the stone mace-head, because a rigid shaft may not have withstood the blows, as this weapon generated a tremendous amount of energy at the point of attack. This theory was elaborated by Winifred Needler in "Predynastic and Archaic Egypt in The Brooklyn Museum", Brooklyn, New York, 1984, p.145 and 259. The stone that this piece is made from, black basalt, is extremely dense and is one of the hardest stones to carve. The ancient Egyptians were able to carve some of their finest portrait busts from this stone, and in many cases it took years to do this and was a community effort for large scale works. The piece seen here was not easy to make, and is in itself is a work of art, although it is a weapon of war. There are nice cream colored calcite and light brown mineral deposits seen on the outer and inner surfaces of this piece, in addition to areas that have various degrees of wear. A nice weapon that is not often seen in black basalt. A custom stand is included and the piece can easily be removed, as it sits on top of the stand. Ex: Sotheby's Antiquities, Dec. 1995, no. 212. Ex: Private New York collection. (Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
|
|
Egyptian Wood Face Mask, Ex: Sotheby's Pankow
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Egyptian:
Pre AD 1000 item# 1103081
|
click for details
|
Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$3,865.00
|
This appealing piece is an Egyptian polychrome wooden face mask that dates Third Intermediate Period, circa 1075-715 B.C. This piece is approximately 7.75 inches high, and is a near complete facial section of a wooden sarcophagus mask/lid. This piece has red outlined lips, and red and blue details which are painted over a golden yellow ground that covers the carved wooden surface. There are two dowel holes which were used to attach this esoteric facial section to the main body of the sarcophagus mask/lid. This piece also has some minute spotty black mineral deposits, and the condition of the carved wooden fabric is exceptional. This piece was carved in a very esoteric manner, as seen with the detailed lips and raised eyes. This piece has a great deal of eye appeal, and fits on a custom black plexiglas and marble stand. Ex: Sotheby's Antiquities, London, Feb. 1979, no. 273. Ex: Private New York collection. Ex: Sotheby's Antiquities, The Charles Pankow Collection of Egyptian Art, Dec. 2004, no. 148. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
|
|
Roman/Egyptian Bronze Osiris-Dionysos Figurine
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Egyptian:
Bronze:
Pre AD 1000 item# 599555
|
click for details
|
Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$2365.00
|
This piece is a Roman bronze that was likely made in Alexandria, Egypt. This piece dates circa 2nd century A.D. and is a complete piece that is seen standing on a plinth. The plinth probably does go with this piece as the patina has matching deposits where the feet meet the top of the base. This rare bronze is likely Osiris-Dionysos and this piece was made to represent more than one god. This figure is seen wearing an Egyptian crown and he is holding a fruit out in his left hand. The fruit may represent the bounty of Egypt, as it was the bread basket of the Roman Empire. This figure is seen nude and this is a Greek convention of art, but this piece was likely made in Egypt, and as such, is a rare Egyptian convention of art as well. The duality of form and purpose of this piece is a reflection of the Romans who lived and worked in Egypt. This piece was probably set up in a shrine in a private home and both gods were probably worshipped at the same time. This piece is approximately 4.2 inches high and the figure itself is approximately 2.9 inches high. This piece has a nice dark green patina with spotty light brown mineral deposits. This piece is mounted with clay on a custom white marble/clear plexiglas stand and the piece can easily be removed. Ex: Christie's Antiquities New York, June 1994, no.191. Ex: Private New York collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
|
|
Scarce Egyptian Terracotta Mold for an Amulet
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Egyptian:
Pottery:
Pre AD 1000 item# 941556
|
click for details
|
Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$465.00
|
This scarce piece is an Egyptian brown terracotta mold that was likely used to form a faience amulet. This intact piece is approximately 1.6 inches high, is intact with no repair/restoration, and dates to the Late Period, circa 716-30 B.C. This piece shows the standing figure of the pregnant hippopotamus-headed goddess Thoeris, otherwise known as Taweret, who the the protector of women during childbirth. The image of this goddess is often seen as faience amulets, and an image of this goddess was also attached to beds, head-rests, and cosmetic articles. This piece is mounted with clay on a custom stand, along with a clay impression of the mold, and both of these can easily be removed. Molds of this type are scarce on the market, and are seldom seen. Ex: Private English collection. Ex: Private New York collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
|
|
|
|
|
