Apollo Art Auctions presents fresh-to-market ancient art and antiquities of extraordinary quality and beauty in Oct. 9 sale
Featured: Viking silver horse’s head armor with stunning hand-decoration, Egyptian painted and gilded mummy mask cartonnage, Chinese Tang Dynasty set of 12 zodiac figuresRare Viking Silver Horse Chamfron – Full ReportLONDON – With each successive sale, London’s Apollo Art Auctions delights collectors of ancient art and antiquities with a fresh selection of fully authenticated treasures from bygone civilizations. Each rare object – whether valued for its great beauty, historical significance, or both – is offered with the assurance that it has been vetted by top experts working under the direction of Apollo’s founder, Dr. Ivan Bonchev (Ph.D., University of Oxford). On October 9th, the London-based firm will conduct yet another outstanding gallery auction of ancient art and antiquities, with worldwide bidding available online through LiveAuctioneers.The beautifully illustrated catalogue features 499 lots divided into three sections: Classical and Egyptian, Masterpieces of Ancient Asia, and Medieval Antiquities and Ancient Weaponry. The well-provenanced artifacts represent cultures of many significant eras and geographic regions, including Classical Europe, Egypt, the Near East, India and China.Ancient Egypt is endlessly fascinating, with its gods, its rituals and its reverence to those who had passed to the afterlife. A prime example of the latter is seen in the auction’s opening lot: an Egyptian mummy mask cartonnage from the Ptolemaic Period, circa 332-30 BC. Made from layers of plaster-covered linen, it presents an idealized portrait of the deceased, with pleasing facial features and voluminous tripartite wig. It is polychrome painted in peacock blue, red and white with generous gilding that has weathered many centuries to emerge in fine condition. Most recently it was held in the collection of an Oxfordshire (England) medical doctor. Estimate: £20,000-£40,000 ($22,938-$45,876)A number of highlights grace the Ancient Roman section, including a life-size marble head of youthful female from the Antonine Period, circa 200 AD.