HARWICH, UK.- With a history dating back to a legendary gem and fossil dealership founded in 1858, TimeLine Auctions continues a long and illustrious tradition as the world’s foremost auctioneers of ancient art and antiquities. Their September 3-8 auction – one of their largest sales ever – includes an expertly curated array of rare and historically important objects. Each piece is notable for its quality and distinguished provenance. The fully-curated selection will be available to bidders worldwide through several bidding methods, including live at the gallery, by phone, absentee, or live online. In addition to the generously illustrated online catalog, videos of many auction lots may be viewed on TimeLine Auctions’ website.

Throughout this sale, there is a strong emphasis on the appreciation of each society’s contributions to material culture as a whole. The impressive range of antiquities serves as a showcase for premier Egyptian, Greek, and Roman works, including pottery, marbles, bronzes and jewelry; as well as art and relics from Byzantine, Western Asiatic, Viking and other civilizations.



The mysteries of Ancient Egypt are embodied in an over-life-size Egyptian stone head of a pharaoh from the Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 BC. Likely from a monumental sphinx, the subject wears a royal nemes striped headdress with a prominent headband and the remains of a rearing uraeus (serpent) on the brow. The pharaoh has a somber expression and large, prominently-outlined, almond-shape eyes. The distinctive features are reminiscent of a granite sphinx head discovered at the Egyptian Delta site of Canopus, now housed in the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. The trail of ownership can be traced back to 1975 and a German private collection; with subsequent European ownership and family descent. Weighing a hefty 45.15kg (99lbs, 9oz) and presented on a custom display stand, it will convey with an academic report by Egyptologist Paul Whelan. Estimate: £40,000-£60,000 ($52,695-$79,040)



From ancient Rome, a bronze staff finial dating from the 2nd century AD is close to 12 inches in height and depicts a spread-winged eagle standing on an orb beneath a spectacular bust of the bearded god Serapis, his head surmounted by a corn modius. It was probably used atop a processional scepter or standard during the reign of Hadrian and is similar to examples in the collections of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the St Louis Art Museum. Previously, it was held in a private collection in Germany in the 1980s and was last offered at auction by Christie’s New York in June 2012. It is entered in TimeLine’s sale with a £50,000-£70,000 ($65,935-$92,310) estimate.



Another sensational Roman survivor is the finely-carved Roman marble head of a young satyr dating to the late 1st to early 2nd century AD. With tousled curly hair and expressive features, including a mischievous smile with the tip of his tongue protruding to the right, it appears to have been derived from Hellenistic prototypes. It can be compared to the so-called “Young Centaur” signed by Aristeas and Papias, which was found at Tivoli in Hadrian’s Villa and now resides in the Capitoline Museum collection in Rome. TimeLine’s catalog provides an extensive list of book references and museum comparison examples. The line of provenance includes Christoph Bernoulli (1897-1981, Basel), who possibly acquired it from Münzen und Medaillen AG, Basel; thence by descent. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato, its auction estimate is £40,000-£60,000 ($52,695-$79,040).



A larger-than-life-size Roman bronze sandaled foot from the 2nd-3rd century AD is modeled in the round and was originally part of a monumental statue. It can be compared to similar examples seen in several reference books, including Bonfante’s The World of Roman Costume. It also calls to mind a statue at The British Museum that came from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and another, at the Cleveland Museum of Art, which is a possible portrayal of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the guise of a simple itinerant philosopher. The ultimate conversation piece, the auction entry is poised to make tracks in the £30,000-£40,000 ($39,570-$52,695) estimate range.

A majestic South Asian artwork, “The Kelton” Gandharan head of a Bodhisattva is so named because it was owned for 37 years by California-based collector Richard Kelton (1929-2019). Three years after Mr Kelton’s passing, it was acquired by its next owner at Abell Auctions in Los Angeles. It subsequently passed by descent to its present owner. The half-round schist head depicting a Bodhisattva, probably Maitreya, dates to the 3rd-6th century AD. It is exquisitely carved and detailed with an arched brow, aquiline nose, neat moustache and full lips. Its eyes are heavily lidded, an urna is present on the forehead, and the subject’s curling locks are gathered into ushnisha. Similar works appear in Jongeward’s 2018 reference Buddhist Art of Gandhara: In the Ashmolean Museum. The auction example, which was exhibited at Frieze Masters 2023 in London, comes to auction with a pre-sale estimate of £15,000-£20,000 ($19,785-$26,380).

A special highlight of the six-day auction is an 87-lot offering of rarities from the collection of Britain’s best-known metal detectorist, Gordon Bailey. Born in wartime London, Bailey was dealing coins and antiques as a teenager from the East End’s famous Brick Lane Market and became an early pioneer of the treasure-hunting hobby after buying his first metal detector in 1968. Today, he is familiar to many hobbyists as the author of the Detector Finds series that helped in the identification of many British metal-detecting finds, ranging from medieval pilgrim ampullae and crossbow bolts to crotal bells and seal matrices. In the days before the availability of Internet search engines, these books, with hundreds of detailed illustrations covering all types of finds, were invaluable as reference works.

Gordon Bailey also amassed an enviable collection of coins and artifacts from virtually every period of British history: Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, medieval, Tudor, and later. The auction features a number of pieces illustrated in his books, including both a 13th or 14th-century gold zoomorphic annular brooch set with sapphire cabochons, estimate £1,50-0-£2,000 ($1,980-$2,640); and a large 15th-century gilt bronze merchant’s glove ring with an octagonal plaque bezel having a merchant’s mark and the letters “IH,” estimate £2,000-£3,000 ($2,640-$3,955).



A top prize in the ancient jewelry category is a 1st century AD Roman agate cameo of Augustus, presented in a later mounting. The gold pendant frame is surrounded by emerald, sapphire and ruby cabochons, as well as clusters of pearls. It is marked “750” on verso, along with “B&G” – believed to be an upstate New York jeweler’s stamp – and an indeterminate third mark. With a total weight of 99 grams, it will convey with a scholarly report by Dr Ittai Gradel, who notes that the cameo is “of exquisite technical quality” and “has a close parallel in the Cabinet des Medailles, Paris.” This wonderful piece of jewelry was part of an early 20th-century New York collection, then was with Robert Haber Gallery in New York (1990), and later, became the property of Jean Clostre, Geneva, Switzerland. The auction estimate is £30,000-£40,000 ($39,570-$52,695).



Among the hundreds of rare and outstanding gold and silver coins, a golden choice is a 282-283 AD Carus AV Aureus, laureate, with a draped and cuirassed bust to the right on the obverse. The reverse shows Victory advancing to the right, holding a palm frond over her left shoulder and a wreath in her right hand. “SMA” is shown in the exergue. This well-provenanced coin, which has a weight of 5.02 grams, was previously auctioned at Hess-Divo AG, Auction 334, May 29, 2018; and Nomos AG, Auction 17, Oct. 26, 2028 (dealer’s ticket included with lot). TimeLine’s auction estimate is £20,000-£30,000 ($26,380-$39,579).



The many collectors of ancient pottery worldwide will find much to admire in a circa-520 BC Greek Attic lekythos. Its ovoid body displays a combat scene with three distinctively-garbed and helmeted hoplites with shields and weapons. A similar example may be seen in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and in the Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum. The auction vessel was in a private southern Germany collection in the 1960s, and later with Paul-Francis Jacquier, Numismatique Antique, Münzen und Kunst der Antique. It was acquired by the present owner at the latter company’s September 13, 2013 auction and is now offered with a £25,000-£35,000 ($32,955-$46,135) estimate.

In summary, TimeLine Auctions’ Chief Operating Officer Aaron Hammond described the September 3-8 event as “a landmark sale featuring an extraordinary selection of classical ancient art, medieval treasures, and much more. Each item is historically significant and has been expertly catalogued, thoroughly researched, and rigorously vetted by our experienced team of specialists. This auction is one of our largest to date and presents a rare opportunity to acquire remarkable pieces that connect us to the past, broadening our horizons and deepening our understanding of history. Participating in this sale is not just about acquiring art, but also about preserving the rich cultural heritage that shapes our world. We’re sure collectors won’t want to miss this chance to own a piece of history.”

The Sept. 3-8, 2024 auction will be held live at the company’s head office located at The Court House, 363 Main Rd., Harwich, Essex CO12 4DN, UK. All lots featured in TimeLine’s printed catalog will be auctioned during the Sept. 3 opening session. Internet bidders may pre-register online. London previews will be held at the prestigious Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, St James’s, on Aug. 28 from 12 noon-6pm, followed by a Champagne reception from 6-9pm; as well as Aug. 29 from 9am-noon. Auction start time: 7am US Eastern time/12pm (midday) GMT. All remote forms of bidding will be available, including absentee, by phone (please book phone line 48 hours ahead of time) or live via the Internet through TimeLine’s bidding platform or LiveAuctioneers. TimeLine Auctions accepts payments in GBP and ships worldwide. Questions: call +44 7494 866514 or email Aaron Hammond at ah@timelineauctions.com. Website: https://timelineauctions.com.