Ancient Greek Art

7442. FRAGMENTARY GREEK CARVED STONE DISK WITH INSCRIPTION, c. 2nd century BC/AD. The disk with Greek inscription A?OIAVOT around rim, interior to that a carved floral band, and the the central panel a scene with human figures, fences, plants etc. About a quarter of the piece remaining. Repaired from two pieces. An intriguing piece deserving of further study. 4.5 x 5.5 inches.

8131. ENDEARING HELLENISTIC BRONZE RABBIT, c. 3rd -1st century BC. Solid cast rabbit seated on its haunches in an alert pose, ears erect. Excellent detail with remains of incised fur markings. 1.85 inches. Extremely rare little gem!

Provenance: From the estate of a prominent Egyptologist active in the early part of the 20th century. Brought to the US with the family in 1954.

8279. A GREEK BRONZE AMPHORA, c. 4th-2nd century BC. The footed vessel with high neck with incised bands and flaring rim. Nice patina under deposits, a few cracks but still nice. 9. Very rare.

8887. A GREEK GOLD APPLIQUE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT AS YOUNG HERCULES. Hellenistic, c. 3rd-1st century BC. The sheet gold applique of circular form with the head of the young Herakles wearing his lion-skin helmet done in repousse technique, six small holes for attachment in the circumference. 24 mm diameter. Rare.

9655. RARE CORINTHIAN ARYBALLOS WITH HOPLITE WARRIORS, c. 6th century BC. The small perfume vessel of spherical form with a wide rim to distribute the scent of the perfume, the body decorated with a procession of four Greek hoplite warriors r. bearing spears and large shields. 2.2 x 2.25 inches. Couple of tiny flakes patched on the bottom not interfering with design. Very rare and desirable processional scene with hoplites. Classic early Greek art!

9616. A FINE GREEK TERRA COTTA FIGURINE OF HARPOCRATES ATTIS. Ptolemaic, c. 2nd-1st century BC. The terra cotta with Harpocrates Attis perched sidesaddle on the back of a large goose and wearing a high Asiatic cap with his finger to his mouth, and holding a cornucopia. 6.7 inches. An excellent and accomplished composition. Intact and rare. On custom stand.

Provenance: A private American collection. Purchased from a US antiquities dealer November, 1999.

9669. MEGARIAN GREEK BOWL WITH MOLDED ORNAMENTATION, about 300 BC. Molded floral ornaments all over the body. Megarian ware is the precursor of the roman Samian ware. 12,5 x 7 cm. Intact.

7995. HELLENISTIC PIRIFORM ARYBALLOS, c. 3rd-2nd century BC. Twin faux handles make this a rare type. 7.5 inches. Free standing. Choice intact condition.

9630. GREEK RED WARE KYLIX, c. 4th-3rd century BC. The two handled wine cup on pedestal base with everted rim. 2.5 x 6.5 inches across handles. Excellent condition with nice glaze.

8891. A GREEK GOLD APPLIQUE. Hellenistic, c. 3rd-1st century BC. The sheet gold applique of rectangular form with the figure of a nude male leaning against a column within a beaded border, all done in repousse technique. 17 x 19 mm. Rare.

8243. A RARE ARCHAIC GREEK MOTHER AND CHILD STATUETTE, c. 6th-5th century BC. Typical archaic goddess or kore otherwise but the only one Ive carried holding a child. 7. Minor chips. Extremely rare.

MILITARIA – ANCIENT GREEK WEAPONS AND ARMOR

7976. GREEK ALABASTRON, c. 6th century BC. Expertly carved from banded alabaster a thin walled cosmetics container with wide rim and two side lugs. 14 cm. Uncleaned from the ground. Very nice example and better than the image and not so reddish.

9691. A GREEK BLACK GLAZE KYLIX, c. 4th century BC. The two handled wine cup with ancient deposits. 8 across handles. Intact with removable calcification deposits attesting its antiquity.

8104. FINE GREEK GOLD EARRING, c. 3rd -1st century BC. The wide boat shaped earring of high carat sheet gold formed around an inner core, a pale green glass setting in one end, decorated with granulation and filigree on the shoulder. 19 mm. Small area of compression on one side but the other in good condition and wearable thus with care.

9045. LARGE GREEK MARBLE STELE WITH HECATE HOLDING TORCHES. Eastern Mediterranean, c. 4th-1st century BC. The marble slab carved with the figure of Hecate, goddess of the night, dressed in long robes standing within her temple entrance flanked by low walls, she stands facing holding flaming torches in each hand. Two lines of Greek inscription visible below most probably defaced by early Christians. 3 x 19 x 21 inches. 95 lbs.

9626. A GNATHIAN GREEK SKYPHOS, c. 4th century BC. The elegantly proportioned cup on pedestal base with twin handles, with vine patterns in yellow, white and red over the black glaze. 4.4 x 6.5 inches across handles. Repair to one handle and stable rim crack. Nice paint preservation.

In ancient Greece bulls were a symbol of fertility and agricultural prosperity. They were led garlanded in seasonal festivals to ensure and celebrate good harvests and civic prosperity. The garlanded bull motif is found fairly frequently in classical Greek art, though usually on a much smaller scale in coins and small ceramics.

We have two truly exceptional museum quality large Ancient Greek marble statues, the property of a European gentleman, available for sale in the US with export permits. Interested parties may contact us at

7312. LARGE GREEK TERRA COTTA HEAD OF A GODDESS OR QUEEN, c. 3rd-1st century BC. With ornate hairdo and earrings with sakkos bound by a diadem. 4 x 6 inches. Repaired from large shards. Worth considerably more when properly restored.

8689. LARGE GREEK BRONZE BELL, c. 5th-3rd century BC. The large bell of subconical form with heavy integral loop. 2.6 x 3.9 inches. Small line one side. Even though the iron clapper is lost, tapping the bell still produces a clear tone, a sound that was certainly heard also by some unknown ancient Greek. An unusually large and well preserved example.

9615. A CANOSAN GREEK POLYCHROME HORSE, Greek colonies in Southern Italy, 3rd century BC. The ceramic horse modeled in the act of lunging forward with left leg leading. The body painted in white, the bridle and reins in burgundy and blue. Most of the original pigment remaining. Dimensions 7 inches in height x 9.5 inches in length. Professional repair to legs, otherwise all intact and original. Extremely rare.

9035.GREEK TRANSPORT AMPHORA HANDLE FROM RHODES, c. 3rd-2nd century BC. With circular stamp with the Rhodian rose and lengthy Greek inscription around. 2.4 inches.Enlargement.

8889. A GREEK GOLD APPLIQUE. Hellenistic, c. 3rd-1st century BC. The sheet gold applique of square form with a large triskeles within an incuse, all done in repousse technique, small holes for attachment in the corners, a small tear at the side. 18 x 19 mm. Rare.

7996. HELLENISTIC PIRIFORM ARYBALLOS, c. 3rd-2nd century BC. 7 inches. Free standing. Minor flakes to rim.

8011. LARGER ATTIC BLACK GLAZE KYLIX, c. 5th-4th century BC. The wide two handled wine drinking vessel often seen on Greek vase paintings. 3 x 9 inches. Repaired from all original shards.

7311. GREEK TERRA COTTA HEAD OF A GROTESQUE OR ELDERLY MAN, c. 3rd-1st century BC. With furrowed brow and drawn face. 1.7 inches. In the Hellenistic period a genre of portraying grotesques and caricatures was popular thus this excellent realistic depiction in fine Hellenistic style.

7983. A GREEK BLACK GLAZED SKYPHOS. S. Italy, Campanian, c. 3rd century BC. Two handled cup with glossy black glaze. Intact with couple of very minor flakes. 5.25 inches across handles x 3.25 inches height.

7595. A LARGE CANOSAN GREEK FUNERARY OINOCHOE, c. 3rd century BC. At the base the finely modeled head of a lady or goddess with laurel leaf wreath. Above on a broad strap handle, the molded figure of an elegant lady wearing hat and cloak. Considerable white slip remaining with slight traces of pink and blue. Intact and very rare this type of vessel was made for the tomb without an enclosed bottom and not intended for daily use. Height: 14.2.

10078. RARE GREEK BRONZE PYXIS LID. Hellenistic, c. 3rd – 1st century BC. The finely made bronze lid with knobbed handle, flanged rim and concentric ridges both on top and inside. 3.25 x 0.5 inches. Quite rare and would have covered a fine Greek bronze pyxis.

9038. A FINE CAMPANIAN TEANO GUTTOS OIL LAMP FILLER, c. 320 BC. The oil lamp filler with narrow spout with conical rim, a ring handle with five ridged design on the shoulder, the body decorated with finely rendered vines in yellow and white, a necklace of impressed annulettes and pendants around the neck, also a small tongue and dot band painted around the neck. 4 x 4.25 inches. Intact choice example. Very rare this nice.

ANCIENT GREEK MARBLE SCULPTURE, STELE & ALABASTRA

7986. FINE GREEK AMPHORA. Hellenistic, c. 2nd century BC. Piriform body with tall thin base and neck. 27 cm. A choice example.

7991. BEAUTIFUL AND RARE HELLENISTIC/EARLY ROMAN BALLISTA BOLT, 3rd-1st century BC. The bronze ballista bolt of large arrowhead form with tenon on trailing end. The Roman ballista was a large stationary crossbow that was mechanically wound up and shot bolts with tremendous force. It was the Roman equivalent of a small artillery piece. Very rare and in excellent condition. 2.9 inches. Dr Mike Bishop, co-author of Roman Military Equipment, suggests that this may be a rarer Hellenistic ballista bolt. The asymmetrical grove acted as a kind of rifling which caused the bolt to rotate and by this means stabilized its flight.

8006. FINE GREEK BLACK GLAZED PYXIS, c. 4th-3rd century BC. The lidded vessel of elegant form with delicate knob handle on lid. 3 x 3.5 inches. Choice intact condition.

Canosan refers to one of the distinctive artistic styles of the Greek colonies of Southern Italy. Canosan pottery and figurines are characterized by the use of delicate pastel painted colors rather than glazes. Due to the delicacy of such paints one rarely finds a piece where more than traces of the colors remain. The current piece is highly exceptional in that nearly all of the original paint remains beautifully intact. An important piece worthy of the finest collection.

7977. HEAD OF AN ARCHAIC GREEK GODDESS, c. 6th century BC. Wearing high polos. 11 x 7.5 cm. Rare with good features.

7215. GREEK INTAGLIO SEAL IMPRESSION WITH THE FACE OF MAUSOLUS, c. 4th century BC. Fired clay stamped with the very high profile facing head of what appears to be the Hellenistic king Mausolus. Such clay intaglios were likely used as seals for papyrus scrolls. Mausolus, the ruler of Halicarnassus, was the builder of the eponymous Mausoleum. 17mm.

Provenance: A private American collection. Purchased from a US antiquities dealer November, 1999.

8986. VERY RARE LARGE MACEDONIAN TRANSPORT AMPHORA, c. 3rd-2nd century BC. Of globular form with wide neck and heavy rim, a blunt projecting knob at the bottom, this type used for storage and transport of non-liquid goods. 15 x 22 inches. Intact with considerable sea encrustation. Choice intact example. An extremely rare large Macedonian artifact. See Chronicles Of The Roman World, Timothy R. Roberts, p. 78 for very similar examples found at the Macedonian capital of Pella.

9631. GREEK BLACK GLAZED KYLIX, c. 4th-3rd century BC. The two handled wine cup on pedestal base with everted rim. 3 x 7.5 inches across handles. Excellent condition with nice glaze.

Provenance: A private American collection. Purchased from a US antiquities dealer November, 1999.

8890. A GREEK GOLD APPLIQUE. Hellenistic, c. 3rd-1st century BC. The sheet gold applique of rectangular form with the figure of a helmeted Greek warrior with shield and spear apparently falling from his horse, a beaded border around, all done in repousse technique, small holes for attachment in the border. 17 x 29 mm. Rare.

Provenance: From the estate of a prominent Egyptologist active in the early part of the 20th century. Brought to the US with the family in 1954.

Provenance: A private American collection. Purchased from a US antiquities dealer November, 1999.

8254. A FINE EARLY MAGNA GRAECIAN BOWL, c. 7th-5th century BC. Fine thin fabric with brownish glaze with white and red concentric bands. 6.1. Professional repair but a very rare and fine type.

6750. A THRACIAN SILVER TORQUE, c. 5th-2nd century BC. The torque of twisted silver wire. 6×6. Can be straightened. Rare.

9663. A GREEK MARBLE FRIEZE WITH GARLANDED BULLS, late 4th – early 3rd century BC. The frieze with three deeply carved bull heads with connecting garlands draped across them, a rosette and shield medallion above the hanging loops of the garlands. 14 x 44 x 5 inches. In three closely fitting sections which stand on their own together very nicely. A beautifully symmetrical and very decorative and impressive frieze carved of the finest pure white very fine grained marble with a rich honey patina. A very rare large original Classical Greek sculpture.

The ceramic figures produced by artists in Tanagra Boeotia in the mid 4th century BC are generally considered to be the finest ceramic figures produced by the ancient Greeks. They are most often figures of stylishly dressed young ladies but occasionally include figures of young men as well as in this example.

Provenance: A private American collection. Purchased from a US antiquities dealer November, 1999.

ANCIENT GREEK SILVER & BRONZE VESSELS & FIGURES

8690. A HELLENISTIC BRONZE VASE, c. 3rd-1st century BC. Of elegant piriform shape with ring base and expanded rim. 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Excellent condition.

6772. GREEK BLACK-GLAZED BOWL WITH PRESSED MEDALLIONS, c. 4th century BC. On ring base stamped with facing female heads surrounded by a wide ring of incised dashes. 6.5. Light deposits. Metallic high lead glaze. A rare type. Intact.

8246. A FINE GREEK TERRA COTTA FIGURE OF A GODDESS OR LADY WITH EROS. Tanagra or Kentoripai, c. 4th-3rd century BC. A woman carrying Eros on her shoulder. This may be Aphrodite or it may refer to another specific Greek mythic story. 6.5. Repaired from shards but very appealing. Considerable white slip remaining with traces of color.

Provenance: From the estate of a prominent Egyptologist active in the early part of the 20th century. Brought to the US with the family in 1954.

9690. CHOICE GREEK BLACK GLAZED RIBBED PERFUME BOTTLE, c. 4th century BC. The small finely made vessel with vertically ribbed body, twin upright loop handles and a tall neck with wide rim. 1.5 x 2.5 inches. Intact and in choice condition. Very rare type.

8118. GREEK TERRA COTTA HEAD OF SILENUS, c. 6th-5th century BC. The bearded satyr identifiable by his goat ears. 2.5 x 2.75 inches.

6749. A FINE THRACIAN SILVER TORQUE, c. 5th-2nd century BC. The torque of silver wire with knobbed hook one end that fastens to a wrapped loop on the other. 5.4. 26 gm. Rare and in excellent wearable condition and would make a superb and sophisticated necklace for a smaller neck.

9344. RARE PAIR OF GREEK GOLD ORNAMENTS, c. 6th-4th century BC. A matching pair of sheet gold rings that would have originally ornamented some large circular likely royal implement. 3.1 diameter. Very rare.

9629. GNATHIAN GREEK HIGH NECKED JUG, c. 4th century BC. The elegant jug on pedestal base with single strap handle, with fluted body, the high neck decorated with Greek key motif and other designs in red, white and yellow over black glaze. 4.1 inches. Minor flakes and glaze abrasions.

7315. GREEK TERRA COTTA HEAD OF AN AFRICAN, c. 3rd-1st century BC. The face with prognathic jaw and typical African features wearing dreadlocks one of which falls longer to the side of the face, another large one down the back of the head. 2.5 inches. Rare and desirable.

8002. FINELY TURNED SMALL GREEK KRATER, c. 5th-3rd century BC. The wide bodied vessel on ring base with wide flaring rim. 4 x 3 inches. Choice intact condition.

BEAUTIFUL LARGE CLASSICAL GREEK SCULPTURAL FRIEZE

NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THE SOTHEBYS JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS EXAMPLES

Provenance: Acquired at Harmer Rooke Galleries January, 2000.

8281. A HELLENISTIC BRONZE BOWL, c. 3rd-5th century BC. Of hemispherical form with everted rim. 5.4. Intact.

8010. FINE GREEK BLACK GLAZED PYXIS, c. 4th-3rd century BC. The lidded vessel of elegant form with delicate knob handle on lid. 3 x 3 inches. Reduction fired with both red and black glaze areas. Choice intact condition with light dendritic deposits attesting authenticity.

Provenance: Collected in the early 1900s in Greece by the grandmother of the current elderly owner. Shown to the Victoria and Albert museum in 1987 which confirmed its authenticity.

6770. FINE GREEK BLACK-GLAZED ROSETTE BOWL, c. 4th century BC. On high base with stamped palmette designs. 5.5. Tiny line otherwise intact. Old Museum on base.

8272. A CAMPANIAN BLACK GLAZED OLPE, c. 4th-3rd century BC. The high-necked vessel of unusual form. 4.7. Intact with light deposits.

Provenance: A private North Eastern collection, acquired at auction at Harmer Rooke Galleries October, 1996.

8985. VERY RARE LARGE MACEDONIAN TRANSPORT AMPHORA, c. 3rd-2nd century BC. Of globular form with wide neck and heavy rim, a blunt projecting knob at the bottom, this type used for storage and transport of non-liquid goods. 16 x 23 inches. Intact with considerable sea encrustation. Choice intact example. An extremely rare large Macedonian artifact. See Chronicles Of The Roman World, Timothy R. Roberts, p. 78 for very similar examples found at the Macedonian capital of Pella.

9655. RARE CORINTHIAN ARYBALLOS WITH HOPLITE WARRIORS, c. 6th century BC. The small perfume vessel of spherical form with a wide rim to distribute the scent of the perfume, the body decorated with a procession of four Greek hoplite warriors r. bearing spears and large shields. 2.2 x 2.25 inches. Couple of tiny flakes patched on the bottom not interfering with design. Very rare and desirable processional scene with hoplites. Classic early Greek art!

Provenance: A private American collection. Purchased from a US antiquities dealer November, 1999.

6767. A LARGE GREEK BLACK-GLAZED SKYPHOS, c. 4th century BC. 5 x 9.5 inches. Area of base ring and rim flake restored. Rare this large.

8273. A CHOICE GNATHIAN GREEK OINOCHOE, c. 350 BC. With superb high lead glaze with silvery iridescence, and added vines painted in red, white and yellow. 5.5. Intact and in choice condition. One of the nicest examples Ive seen.

Classical Art From The Glory That Was Greece

7635. A LARGE EAST GREEK HYDRIA, c. 6th-4th century BC. The large wide mouthed water vessel with two strap handles at 100 degrees from each other from belly to rim, the shoulder, handles and rim with bands of red designs. 12.5 x 14 inches. Minor abrasion to rim and stable lines in one area, otherwise in nice condition with excellent paint retention. Rare large Greek pottery.

7592. A LARGE ARCHAIC GREEK TERRA COTTA GODDESS, c. 6th century BC. The terra cotta figure of a seated goddess or Kore. Very rare this large. Minor repair to base. Height: 13.

8105. FINE GREEK GOLD EARRING, c. 3rd -1st century BC. The crescent shaped earring of high carat sheet gold formed around an inner core, decorated with three triple filigreed bands around the body. 15×20 mm. Excellent condition. The wire is bent but could easily be straightened. Wearable with care.

9649. RARE EAST GREEK GEOMETRIC VASE, c. 8th-7th century BC. The vessel with two registers of geometric bands containing triangular and rhomboid motifs rendered in red and black on cream ground. 7.5 x 8 inches. Slight abrasion reverse else excellent condition. Very rare.

9676. RARE GREEK ALABASTER PYXIS WITH ORIGINAL LID, c. 7th-6th century BC. Of beautiful form with everted knobbed lid. Ancient deposits and minor abrasion. 4.3 inches diameter. Extremely rare!

6766. A FINE GREEK TWO HANDLED CUP, c. 4th-3rd c. BC. With two fine molded Nubian heads on the handles, red painted floral design on the shoulder. Professional repair. 5.5 x 6. Very rare.

9614. RARE ARCHAIC GREEK KOUROS, c. 7th-6th century BC. The terra cotta male figure standing nude with left arm across his abdomen, his long hair in curls across his head and falling over his shoulders. 3 x 4 inches. Lower part missing. Very rare and with a wonderful archaic smile. On custom stand.

9002. GREEK BRONZE PITCHER, c. 2nd-1st century BC. The pitcher of wide ovoid form on everted ring base, with a high conical neck with ridged shoulder opening to a wide rim with turned down edge, the handle with tapered incised handle terminating in a wide crescent ornamented with four curled knobs at the top, a palmette formed applicae at the shoulder. 7 x 8 inches. Broad area of reverse side patched. Still a very rare and presentable example of fine Greek bronze work.

8125. VERY RARE HELLENISTIC QUADRUPLE PYXIS, c. 3rd-1st century BC. The vessel consisting of four pyxii around a double strap handle with knot at apex. 3.5 x 4 inches. Excessively rare and marvelously intact save for one insignificant rim flake. The only one of the type weve carried. Museum quality Greek pottery. Four lids included though not shown.

Provenance: From the estate of a prominent Egyptologist active in the early part of the 20th century. Brought to the US with the family in 1954.

One of the few pieces of ancient art in the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis collection was a pair of nearly identical Canosan Greek horses. The Jacqueline Kennedy collection including these horses was sold at auction at Sothebys April 23-26, 1996. Her Canosan horses are pictured and described in the catalog.

7591. CANOSAN GREEK POLYCHROME LADY, Greek colonies in Southern Italy, 3rd-2nd Century BC. Beautifully modeled ceramic figure of a young lady of style. She stands in contrapposto, with most of her weight on the right foot, the left leg bent. Her left hand rests on her hip, her right arm falls gracefully along her side. She wears a thin pink chiton (inner undergarment) belted at the waist with the loose folds hanging to the tops of her thighs. Over this she wears a blue outer himation open in the front, and a blue head covering. Her lips and earrings are painted red, her face and hands white, and her hair done in brown. Height is 18.3 cm. (7.2 inches). Condition: Choice and intact in an exceptional state of preservation with no repair or restoration or repainting.

ANCIENT GREEK TRANSPORT AMPHORA SEALS

8268. ELEGANT CAMPANIAN BLACK-GLAZED GUTTOS, c. 4th-3rd century BC. The globular vessel with narrow spout rimmed spout with ridges and single loop handle. 4.2. A little repair. A scarce type.

11165. TANAGRA GREEK FIGURE OF A YOUNG MAN WEARING A PETASOS. Greece, Boeotia, c. 350 BC. Ceramic figure of a young man dressed in an ankle length robe and petasos (traveling hat), his left arm at his side, his right arm raised to the collar of his robe holding an uncertain object, locks of curly hair emerging from under the brim of his hat. Height is 8.5 inches. Intact with no repair or restoration. Fired from brown clay with considerable original white pigment remaining.

9692. NICE GREEK BRONZE MIRROR, c. 4th-1st century BC. The mirror with raised reinforced ridge. 5.25 inches diameter.

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