This blog is a electronic museum of my collections of antiquities, ethnographic, first editions, retro pottery from the 1950's to early 1970's, shell, mineral and gemstone specimens, fossils, postcards and other wonderful things! Comments are welcome on the objects including advice which will add to my own wonderment and knowledge.

Friday, December 16, 2022

Roman bead necklace, Late Roman Period, c 3rd-4th Century CE, Cyrenacia (LIBYA)

 




Item:

Roman  Bead Necklace

Date:

c. 3rd - 4th Century CE

Historical Period:

Late Roman Period

Description:

Crystal, gemstone ,terracotta beads strung on string for display purposes

Location:

Cyrenacia, LIBYA

Size:

50 cm long

Provenance:

Formerly the property of a private collector, London whose collection commenced in the early 1950's.

Ancient Egyptian Terracotta Head on a Custom Made Display Pedastal, New Kingdom c. 1550 - 1069BCE (EGYPT)

 




Item:

Ancient Egyptian Terracotta Head (mounted on a display stand)

Date:

1500-1069 BCE

Historical Period:

New Kingdom Period

Description:

Terracotta Head Nubian in style presented on a display stand

Location:

EGYPT

Size:

33mm tall (110mm tall with stand)

Provenance:

Purchased via NP Collectables (UK). The item originally formed part of an old pre-1940's Archaeological Collection, London. It was purchased for that collection in the early 1970's.


Egyptain Mummy Necklace: Late Period 664-332 BCE, Faiyum (EGYPT)

 




Item:

Egyptian Mummy Terracotta Necklace

Date:

664-332 BCE

Historical Period:

Late Period

Description:

Ribbed terracotta tubular beads strung on string for display purposes

Location:

Faiyum, EGYPT

Size:

73cm long

Provenance:

Formerly the property of a private collector, London whose collection commenced in the early 1990's.

 


Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Islamic Multi Coloured Glass Bead Necklace: Almohad Period (Late Medieval) 12th to 15th century CE, (ALGERIA & MAURITANIA: NORTH AFRICA)


Item:

Islamic Multicoloured Glass Bead Necklace

Date:

12th-15th Century CE

Historical Period:

Almohad Period (Late Medieval)

Description:

Handmade glass beads with gold spacer beads, re-strung for display purposes.

Location:

ALGERIA & MAURITANIA (NORTH AFRICA)

Size:

56 cm long (overall necklace), 6mm to 25mm (beads)

Provenance:

Formerly the property of a private collector, London.


Thursday, May 2, 2019

Ancient Egyptian Composite re-strung Bead and Scarab Amulet Necklace: Beads are from the Late Period c. 664 - 353 BCE & the large inscribed scarab pendant is from the 2nd Intermediate Period c1786-1567 BCE, (EGYPT)


Item:

Ancient Egyptian Composite re-strung Bead and Scarab Amulet Necklace

Date (BEADS):

c. 664- 353 BCE, Late Period

Date (PENDANT):

c1786-1567 BCE , Second Intermediate Period

Historical Period:

(see above)

Description:

Composite necklace consisting of faience disk beads with pink-salmon coloured glazed seed spacers with 11 larger scarab beetle beads. The large pendant is in the form of a scarab with 2nd Intermediate Period style hieroglyphic style.

Location:

EGYPT

Size:

78.5cm long

Provenance:

Formerly the property of a private collector, London whose collection commenced in the early 1950's.


Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Goldfields Era Chinese 6 sided Green Glazed Ginger Jar c.1860, (AUSTRALIA)



Item:

Chinese 6 Sided Ginger Jar

Date:

c.1860's

Historical Period:

Goldfields Era, Australia

Description:

Green Glazed 6 sided Ginger Jar, Excellent Condition

Location:

Made in China, found in Bendigo, Australia

Size:

8cm x 10cm

Provenance:

Purchased via online Auction.


Chinese Hand Painted Ginger Jar with Warrior Motifs, Qing Dynasty,c. early19th century CE (CHINA)




Item:

Chinese Hand Painted Ginger Jar With Warrior Motifs

Date:

19th Century China

Historical Period:

(Late Qing Dynasty)

Description 1:

Hand painted, excellent condition, no lid.

Location:

CHINA

Size:

11cm x 10cm


Chinese Ginger Jar: Hand Painted with Qilin in 'Famille Verte', Late Qing Dynasty, c 19th century CE, (CHINA)



Item:

Chinese Hand Painted Ginger Jar with Qilin Motif

Date:

19th Century China

Historical Period:

(Late Qing Dynasty)

Description 1:

Hand painted 'Famille Verte' (Green) excellent condition, no lid.

Location:

CHINA

Size:

11cm x 10cm


Sepik River Painted Spirit Mask with Shell (Kina) Eyes c.1970's (PAPUA NEW GUINEA)


Item:

Small Papuan Sepik River Spirit Mask

Date:

c.1970's

Historical Period:

During Australian Occupancy

Description 1:

Painted with Ochre and shell 'kina' eyes

Location:

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Size:

20cm long x 10 cm wide

Provenance:

Old Australian Collection


Japanese Hand Painted Ginger Jar with Lid by Kutani c 1910


Thursday, October 26, 2017

Homo Neanderthalis (Neanderthal) Stone Chopper (Polyhendron Form) circa 200,000 years BCE, Middle East

Polyhedron Chopper




Neanderthal (Homo Neanderthalis) Mortar & Pestal, Syria circa 200,000 years BCE

The basic shape, form and utilization of our own mortar and pestal's have not fundamentally changed for over 500,000 years or more.



This example comes from the Middle East probably around the area of Bosra, Syria and dated to approximately 200,000 years  +/- 30,000 years. As you can see the two a pieces (male and female) are a perfect match.

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Crusader/Templar Denier Tournois (Coin) 1278-1285 CE

Found at Achaea, Greece, a Charles I, used by both Crusader and Templar Denier Tournois (Coin) 1278-1285. AD. Obv: small cross with K R PRINC ACH legend. Rev: castle Tournois with CLARENTIA legend. 



Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Medieval Gilded Ring Brooch c1300 - 1350, Cambridgeshire, England

A lovely Medieval Ring Brooch with repeated arch and rib design, gilding and dark red colouring c 1300-1350. Discovered in Cambridgeshire. 
Provenance: Private Cambridge collection. 
Measures 18 mm in diameter.  



Medieval Bronze Seal c 1350 CE, York, England

Bronze medieval seal which displays a coat of arms surmounted with a crown. The artifact was discovered near York. Provenance: From an old Yorkshire collection; acquired 1940s - early 1950s. 





Sunday, March 13, 2016

Vintage English Moorcroft Powder Blue Bowl made for Liberty England c1940


Ming Dynasty Blue and White Wine Cup (ex Peter Elliot Collection) c 1450-1650, China






Dr. Elliott was a highly respected Australian doctor who, throughout his career, travelled extensively across South East Asia and Oceania teaching doctors in the region. It was during these trips that Dr. Elliott became fascinated with the local art and artefacts and thus began his life-long passion for collecting Oceanic and South East Asian Art.

Over many years of travelling the globe, Dr. Elliott amassed incredible works of art from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, The Philippines, Vanuatu and the Himalayan region which now formed a significant part of his remarkable collection.

The Peter Elliott Collection was an extraordinary private collection acquired over seventy years by a remarkable and inspiring man. Peter Elliott grew up surrounded by art – his father was a friend and patron of Norman Lindsay, and several other modern Australian artists – and he acquired his first piece in 1947, soon after he left his service with the Navy at the age of seventeen. Following graduation, he went on to become a highly respected and decorated surgeon, but it was as a passionate and dedicated art collector that he became most well-known. 

When he passed away recently this extraordinary collection went up for auction...this is just one piece.