Specialties
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Extremely Fine Greek Hemidrachm of Neapolis
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Greek:
Pre AD 1000 item# 984306
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$1,275.00
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This superb coin is a hemidrachm that was minted circa 390-370 B.C. This coin was minted in the civic mint of Neapolis, and grades extremely fine in condition. Neapolis developed as an Athenian colony, and was important because of the rich silver mines that were in the region. Neapolis was located on the coast of the Greek mainland directly opposite the island of Thasos. The obverse is a facing Gorgon that has an open mouth with a protruding tongue, and this was the civic symbol of Neapolis. The Gorgon was the Greek mythical beast that turned men into stone. There is also a single dot seen below the cheek of the Gorgon, and this may be an indication of value. The reverse has a delicate young female head facing right, that has been classified by many numismatists as being a young nymph. It is my contention that this young female head is Artemis Parthenos, who was a goddess that was popular in the wild interior of this region. This head is rendered with exceptional detail, as one can easily see individual hairs and a delicate single strand necklace. There is also Greek lettering seen running around the head: N-E-O-II. This coin is approximately 1.88 gms, and is 14mm in diameter. (Another example of the same grade was offered by Freeman & Sear, Fixed Price List 11, June 2006, no. 28, for $1,500.00.) Die references: Sear 1417, Jameson 954, and Dewing 1067. Ex: Private CA. collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Superb Large Greek Geometric Trefoil Pitcher
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Greek:
Pottery:
Pre AD 1000 item# 1040039
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$2,365.00
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This superb piece is a large Greek pitcher that dates to the Greek Geometric period, circa 8th-7th century B.C. This piece is approximately 10.75 inches high by 8.5 inches in diameter. This superb piece is a light gray terracotta and is near mint quality. This intact vessel also has no noticeable chips and/or abrasions which are usually associated with ceramics of this type. This attractive piece also has nice light to dark brown earthen deposits and minute root marking. There is a single strap handle and trefoil mouth which allowed water and/or wine to be poured in a controlled manner. This piece also sits on a ring base that stabilizes this vessel a great deal, and together with the trefoil spout, are design innovations that represent a huge leap in ancient Greek ceramic design/production. This piece is scarce in this size and near mint condition, and is a very attractive early Greek light gray ceramic. Another analogous example nearly the same size is seen in Sotheby's Antiquities, London, July 1991, no.245. Ex: Private CA. collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Flawless Roman Glass Molded Sprinkler Flask
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Roman:
Glass:
Pre AD 1000 item# 584291
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$1175.00
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This mint quality Roman glass "sprinkler" flask dates circa 3rd century AD and is in flawless condition. This piece is approximately 3.25 inches high, is larger than most examples, and has a nice silver/gold patina. This piece has a light blue-green color and has spotty mineral deposits. The name "sprinkler" flask is a modern day name given to a flask of this type, as it was designed with an interior valve and a wide, flat opening. This allowed for the contained liquid to sprinkle, rather than pour. This piece was also mold made from two separate halves, and the main body has a lattice-work type design. This piece is scarce in this condition with this clear molded design. This piece is seen on a clear plexiglas stand that is included. Ex: New York private collection. Ex: Fortuna Fine Arts, New York. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Roman Bronze Silenus Applique Figure
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Roman:
Bronze:
Pre AD 1000 item# 599095
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$965.00
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This superb Roman bronze piece is an applique with the image of Silenus. This piece dates circa 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D., and is in the form of a facing head, with an attached peg that extends about 1.5 inches from the back side of the applique. This piece was probably mounted in an object such as a furniture piece, or a bronze and wooden door, or a composite work or arms such as a Roman shield. A piece with this type of design, with the extended peg, could have fit in a number of objects. The Sileni were native not to Greece, but to Phrygia in Roman Asia, and personified the genii of springs and rivers. Unlike the Satyrs who derive chiefly from the he-goat, the Sileni derive rather from the horse, whose tail hooves, and even ears they possess. This piece clearly shows the horse ears and shows Silenus as a fat old man, snub-nosed, always drunk, who was in the retinue of Dionysus. Silenus was the tutor of Dionysus and had helped him form his character. The diameter of this piece is approximately 1.4 inches and the length is approximately 2 inches. This piece has a dark green patina with red highlights and the detail is superb. There are some dark green mineral deposits seen on the extended peg. This piece is mounted with clay on a custom black/plexiglas base and can easily be removed. Ex: Private German collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Mint Roman Cobalt-Blue Glass Flask
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Roman:
Glass:
Pre AD 1000 item# 1100413
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$875.00
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This attractive little piece is a Roman glass flask that dates circa mid 1st century A.D. This piece is an early Roman glass vessel that was produced during the early Roman Imperial period. This mint quality vessel is approximately 2.4 inches high, and is in flawless condition. This piece is a deep blue color, and is from a class of Roman glass vessels known as a "cobalt-blue" type. This deep blue color was produced by adding cobalt into the glass, and this color was extremely popular with the Roman elite during the early Imperial period. This scarce vessel has some nice multi-iridescence and some spotty minute root marking, along with some white calcite deposits that are seen mostly on the rounded bottom base of the vessel. This piece has a great deal of eye appeal and is a scarce type with excellent color. For the type see, "Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum", by John W. Hayes, Toronto, 1975, no. 98, p. 51. Ex: Private New York collection. Ex: Fortuna Fine Arts, New York. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Olmecoid Standing Polychrome Mother Goddess
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Americas:
Pre Columbian:
Pottery:
Pre AD 1000 item# 1022403
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$1,365.00
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This interesting piece is an Olmecoid standing figurine that dates circa 600-300 B.C. This piece is approximately 6 inches high, is a light tan clay, and has a thin light tan to clear polychrome glaze. This piece is intact, and has a solid body and a mold made hollow head, which was attached in antiquity. This figure is seen with both arms at the side, and the hands are positioned at the front holding a paunchy stomach, which indicates that this piece is a fertility and/or mother goddess. In addition, the lower torso is "pear" shaped and has wide hips. This piece also has many classic Olmec artistic style features such as the jaguar-like ears, eyes, and mouth. These features are a combination of human and animal, which are classified as "transformation art", which is a principle stylistic hallmark of Olmec art from central Mexico. This type of Middle Preclassic period fertility figurine has been found in Izapa (Mexico), Kaminaljuyu (Guatemala), and Chalchuapa (El Salvador); and has also been classified as the "Mamom" artistic style, which was produced by a "pre-Mayan" and/or Mayan culture. (For the "Mamom" artistic style, see "Maya, Treasures of an Ancient Civilization", Harry Abrams, Inc. Pub., New York, 1985, pp. 74-75.) This piece is scarce in this intact condition, as most pieces of this type are found broken, and is a much better example than what is normally seen on the market. This piece can also stand by itself. This piece comes with a custom stand, and can easily be removed. Ex: Julio Atalah collection, circa 1940-1967. Ex: Danny Hall collection, Houston, TX., circa 1967-2005. Ex: Saida Cebero collection, Sugarland, TX., circa 2005-2009. Ex: Private Florida collection. I certify that this pice is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Roman Bronze Panther Table Leg
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Roman:
Bronze:
Pre AD 1000 item# 595960
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$1675.00
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This solid piece was cast in one piece and is a Roman bronze panther table leg. This piece dates circa 2nd-3rd century A.D. and is approximately 4.5 inches high. This piece was made as a support for a small table, and has an attached flat square upper support column on the top part of the piece. In the middle section of the piece, there is the upper half of a panther's body, and at the base of the piece, there is a round panther paw foot base. The top of this Roman bronze furniture piece is flat, which allowed this piece to support a flat surface such as a small table top. This type of top flat design is normally associated with larger Roman marble examples, and is scarce as a bronze type. The facing panther head has great eye appeal and has an active look. There are also several stylized small round punched circles that are seen in the upper body of the panther, and these represent the spots of the animal. This complete piece has a dark green patina with some spotty light brown deposits, and is in superb condition. This scarce Roman bronze furniture piece is also mounted with clay on a clear plexiglas base, and can easily be removed. Ex: Fortuna Fine Art, New York, New York. Ex: Private New York collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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Powerful Hellenistic Greek Bronze Ring with Herakles
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Greek:
Bronze:
Pre AD 1000 item# 1086730
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$2,875.00
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This piece is a very powerful example of a superb Hellenistic Greek bronze ring, which shows Herakles wrestling the Nemean lion. This piece dates circa mid to late 4th century B.C., and is approximately ring size 8 to 8.5. This piece is a seal ring, and was likely worn by a young man. The condition of this bronze seal ring is superb, as there are no cracks and/or chips, and the engraved composition is very sharp with a deep relief. The inside surface is also smooth to the touch, and this condition factor is what connoisseurs of this type of piece treasure, as this shows this ring was worn in antiquity. In addition, this piece has a lovely even dark green patina. The engraving is very detailed, and the impression from the seal has very high relief. The head of the standing Herakles is a Greek late classical period type, which is very analogous to the young Apollo heads seen on the gold coinage of Philip II, circa 345-310 B.C. (See the attached photo of a gold stater of Philip II, which shows a young Apollo head on the obverse.) This ring may also have been made by a celator (engraver) of Greek coinage, given the fine artistic style of the composition and the placement of the engraved figures on the bezel of the ring. The standing muscular Herakles is seen strangling the Nemean lion, and the lion is seen leaping into the mid-torso of Herakles who has an arm lock around the neck of the lion. The arm lock of Herakles over the lion's neck is centered on the flat, oval bezel, and the tail of the lion is seen framing the composition on the outer lower edge of the scene, along with the club of Herakles that is seen behind the standing figure of Herakles. This "framed composition" is also a common feature of the ancient Greek coin celators in the classical and Hellenistic periods. In Greek myth, Herakles strangles the Nemean lion with his bare hands, rather than using his club, and this is his sign of his true strength. This Greek bronze seal ring was obviously worn by a man of high social standing, and is a rare example of this quality. This ring is one of the finest examples that I have seen on the market, and compares with it's exceptional and contemporary gold and silver examples. (For the type, see J. Spier, "Ancient Gems and Finger Rings", Malibu, 1992, no. 85.) A custom ring stand is included. Ex: Private New York collection. Ex: Fortuna Fine Arts, New York. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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X-Large Near Eastern Anatolian Marble Seal
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Ancient World:
Near Eastern:
Stone:
Pre AD 1000 item# 943121
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$865.00
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This piece is an exceptionally large carved marble seal that is approximately 2 inches in diameter by .75 inches high. This piece dates circa 4th Millennium B.C., and is flat on one side with an oval shape on the other. The flat side displays a running ibex that is seen facing right, and there is a crescent moon and a single dot solar symbol that is is seen above. There is also a bow drilled hole that is seen running through the center, and this piece was probably attached to a cord that was worn over the neck of the individual that owned this piece. This piece likely served as an individual seal for the owner, and may have been used as a mark of value. The design was also bow drilled, as there are individual bow-drilled circles that constitute the overall design that is seen on the flat face of this scarce piece. This piece is analogous to an example seen in Bonhams Antiquities, London, May 2008, no. 348. This type of design is also analogous to several cultures that were found in the ancient Near East during this early period, and this type of design is often seen in Anatolia/North Syria, and is often found on hardstone seals made from black steatite. The marble that this piece is made from, was likely imported into the region, and it is a scarce material for a seal this large. This piece has a nice light grey patina and there are spotty white and light brown calcite deposits. There are also some concentrated straight marks on the oval side, and this piece may also have served as a wet stone for a blade during a later period in antiquity. A nice rare seal not often seen on the market. Ex: Erlenmeyer Collection, Basel, Switzerland. Ex: Sotheby's Antiquities, London, June 1997, no. 1. Ex: Private New York collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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X-Rare Chinese Han Dynasty Glass Burial Suit Tiles
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Chinese:
Glass:
Pre AD 1000 item# 1005541
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Apolonia Ancient Art
303-321-7351 gallery
$6,875.00
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This extremely rare piece is a set of 28 glass tiles, 6 of which have a low relief carved dragon design. These 28 superb pieces date to the late Han Dynasty, circa 1st-2nd century A.D., and are all approximately 2.25 inches wide, by 1.75 inches high, by 1/8 inch thick. These pieces are also mint condition, with no cracks or chips, and are in their natural "as found" condition. These extremely rare tiles all have a hole in each corner, which allowed these tiles to be joined together into a burial suit that covered the entire body. The intact Han Dynasty burial suits found to date are made from Jade, and a jade suit was extremely labor intensive and extremely expensive to create, and only royalty and wealthy aristocrats could afford to be buried in them. Jade was considered by the Han as having properties that promoted immortality, and jade was a symbol of wealth and power. Glass objects imported into China, as early as the 5th century B.C., were also held in high esteem, and glass has many properties that are analogous to jade, including both materials being translucent. The glass burial tiles offered here are also very analogous to the jade burial tiles in size, form, and design. Burial suit remains have been found in a few wooden-chambered burials from the late West Han Dynasty. The extremely rare glass plaques from these finds come in different shapes, with rectangular being the most common. Some of these rectangular pieces have perforations in 4 corners, indicating that they were strung together to form a protective burial suit. Other plaques are often decorated with molded patterns, and all the glass plaque shapes have jade counterparts, suggesting that glass burial suits were a cheaper alternative to jade burial suits. The importation of glass into China created the impetus for the production of indigenous glass, and the earliest archaeological evidence for glass production in China comes from the Zhou Dynasty, circa 1046 B.C.-221 B.C., and the Chinese learned to manufacture glass comparably later than the Mesopotamians and Egyptians. During the Han period, circa 206 B.C.-220 A.D., the use of glass diversified, and glass casting during this period encouraged the production of molded objects, such as the glass burial tiles offered here. The glass objects from the Warring States and Han Dynasty periods vary greatly in chemical composition from the imported glass objects, as they contain very high levels of barium oxide (BaO) and lead (PbO). The Chinese glass tiles tested average 40.37 % lead and 21.49 % barium, and this Chinese "lead-barium" glass tradition is very different than the "soda-lime-silica" glasses of Western Asia and Mesopotamia. See Kerr and Wood, Ceramic Technology: In Science and Civilization in China, Vol. 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Cambridge University Press, 2004, pp. 474-477. The high content of barium carbonate as an ingredient in this Han glass may have been used as a flux to lower the melting point of the glass, and/or to alter the opacity of the glass, thus giving it a jade-like appearance. A broken unmounted half of a glass burial tile is included, along with the mounted 28 burial tiles, and one can see the inner layers of the tile. (See attached photo.) High magnification of the inner edge of this broken tile reveals a white layer at each inner edge that resembles witherite, which is a mineral form of barium carbonate. The "as found" patina seen on the outer surface of these superb pieces is light brown to dark gray, and there are several spotty dark black burial deposits. The low relief molded dragon designs seen on six of the tiles are also protective figurines, that protected the body and the spirit "Po" of the deceased. The ancient Chinese thought that each person had two souls that coexisted, and the "Hun" soul was thought to depart the body through the head of the departed into the next life, and the "Po" soul was thought to remain living inside the body and tomb. The ancient Chinese glass and jade burial suits were created to accommodate this aspect of the ancient Han Dynasty ideology, as the burial suits would keep the "Po" happily living inside the body. These glass plaque Han Dynasty burial tiles are extremely rare on the market, and would make an important addition to any ancient glass collection, as well as any Asian art collection. These pieces are custom mounted with brown thread on a brown linen padded cloth backing, that is approximately 10.5 inches wide by 14 inches high, and is easily hung for display. Ex: Robert Ellsworth collection. Ex: Jeff Shore collection. Ex: Private New York collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:
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