Greek, Roman, Egyptian & Other Antiquities

The antiquities market comprises artefacts and works of art made by ancient civilisations including statues, coins, jewellery and arms and armour.

Provenance is one of the most important considerations when trading in this sector as there is a long history of looting from archaeological sites.

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Marble and so much Moore

21 June 2021

Polymath Gerald Moore’s collection and his own artwork both attract bidders as Summers Place saleroom returns to action

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Shipshape view over 2500 years ago

21 June 2021

This Egyptian 25th or 26th Dynasty polychrome limestone relief fragment, the property of a Belgian collector, comes for sale at Christie’s Antiquities auction in London on July 7.

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Roman amber glass beaker emerges at Bonhams’ Antiquities sale

21 June 2021

This Roman amber glass beaker is decorated with six stylised victory wreaths and the inscription in Greek ‘Seize the Victory’.

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Panther with long provenance

24 May 2021

Hindman is holding a sale of antiquities and ancient art in Chicago on May 27 which will feature this Greek (Hellenistic) marble head of a panther.

Ryedale Ritual Bronzes

Metal detectorists’ bronze discoveries sell for £185,000 at Hansons

20 May 2021

A hoard of Romano-British bronzes, including a bust believed to represent Emperor Marcus Aurelius, has sold at Hansons for £185,000.

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Fijian bowl with rare form brings fervent interest at Lyon & Turnbull

17 May 2021

This Fijian kava bowl, or daveniyaqona, carved in the form of a shallow figure, would have been used for both the consumption of kava (yaqona – the intoxicating liquor of the pepper plant) by priests during religious rites and to hold sacred oil.

Statue

Ancient Libyan statue returned home with the help of The British Museum and HMRC

11 May 2021

A funerary statue from Cyrene (near present-day Shahhat in Libya) dating to the 2nd century BC is being returned to Libya.

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Multi-discipline Drouot delights

26 April 2021

Paris auction hub best-sellers from March range across variety of collecting fields and eras.

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Galway silver shines in Lewes auction

19 April 2021

The West as well as the East made a major contribution to the success of Gorringe’s £1m sale on March 30 where, overall, 86% of the 593 lots sold.

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Akhenaten gets his place in the sun

19 April 2021

The sale of Islamic Art & Antiquities at Roseberys London (25% buyer’s premium) on March 31 included this New Kingdom yellow quartzite shabti fragment.

Marcus Aurelius bust

Ritual bronzes unearthed in Yorkshire come to auction at Hansons

12 April 2021

A hoard of Romano-British bronzes discovered by metal detectorists in North Yorkshire last year will be offered at auction.

Coins

Lorry driver sentenced after Bulgarian coins and antiquities seized at Dover

24 March 2021

A Bulgarian man has been jailed for two years after antiquities estimated to be worth more than £76,000 were found in his lorry by Border Force in Dover, Kent.

Snail man object

Museums buy more Treasure finds as metal detecting discoveries soar

23 March 2021

Artefacts found buried in the ground by metal detectors across the UK has yet again increased Treasure finds allowing museums to boost their collections.

Iron Age brooch

Pick of the week: Chieftain’s fashion statement is all the rage 2000 years later

08 March 2021

This copper alloy and champleve enamel brooch would once have graced the chariot of an Iron Age chieftain.

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Roman mosaic to remain in Dorset after fundraising success

22 February 2021

A Roman floor panel sold at auction in 2018 and then to an international buyer will be reunited with two other fragments from the same mosaic after a successful fundraising appeal to keep it in the UK.

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Antiquities from Cotswolds local history hero turn heads at auction

22 February 2021

A recent sale at Cotswold Auction Company (22% buyer’s premium) included a single-owner collection of antiquities from Lionel Walrond (1927-2020).

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Monk and satyr both answer prayers of vendors

15 February 2021

Two pieces of sculpture – both catalogued as 19th century copies – made much higher than expected prices in the UK regions last month.

Tang pottery figure of a Bactrian camel

Ancient pottery camel figure stars in our latest pick of five auction highlights

15 January 2021

ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a Tang dynasty (618-907) pottery figure of a Bactrian camel and rider that went four times over estimate.

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London dealers sell 12th dynasty Egyptian relief to German museum

13 January 2021

An Egyptian polychrome painted limestone relief from the 12th dynasty has been bought by the State Museum of Egyptian Art in Munich, Germany.

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New York estate provides ancient pottery to Skinner

21 December 2020

More than 70 lots of classical ancient pottery were included in the latest Skinner (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) sale of European Furniture and Decorative Arts in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

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