Prestigious provenance bolsters Apollo Art Auctions’ Oct. 12-13 sale of antiquities, ancient military artifacts, jewelry and decorative art

Battle royale for top-lot honors pits magnificent Tsar Nicholas II shashka – only royal sword ever offered for public sale – against circa-1509 gilded suit of armor by Della Cesa, ‘armorer to kings’

LONDON – Apollo Art Auctions’ October 12-13 Fine Ancient Art & Antiquities sale offers the company’s flourishing audience of bidders a chance to acquire pieces of unrivaled excellence and integrity, each one supported by venerable provenance. The 905-lot auction includes important rarities sourced from the Imperial Russian Romanov Collection, the Prince Collection, the Stephen Joel Albert Collection, the Spencer Joshua Alwyne Compton (Second Marquess of Northampton) Collection, the Alison Barker Collection, the Mrs B Ellison (of the Egyptian Exploration Society) Collection, the Duc de Dino Collection, and the Nicholas Wright Collection.

As the fully-illustrated auction catalog attests, the sale comprises a broad range of desirable items, including wearable jewellery vetted by ancient jewelry specialist Sami Fortune, fascinating military relics, and seals studied by renowned archaeology expert Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011). Egyptian decorative pieces come with historical reports from Simone Musso, consultant curator for Egyptian antiquities at the Stibbert Museum in Florence and a member of the Nuri Archaeological Expedition. Expertly-vetted Roman, Greek and Asian artifacts come with historical reports from Alessandro Neri, an international cultural heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.  Also, bidders have the assurance of knowing all auction items have been cleared through the Art Loss Register database.

Two absolutely unique productions lead the ancient and antique armor category. First, there is an extremely fine-quality Caucasian shashka gifted to Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia, when he was Tsesarevich (heir apparent). Research suggests the saber was presented to Nicholas during a tour of the Caucasus with his father Tsar Alexander III, in 1888. An Arabic inscription in gold on the blade translates to: (M)ay the dominance of the owner of this sword grow, and his life, and his greatness, and may Allah bless his family, and he will achieve his goal. It is also monogrammed with the letters “N” and “A” (for Nicholas Alexandrovich), surrounded by a golden laurel and surmounted by the Imperial Russian crown. Its wonderfully-decorated scabbard bears a calligraphic Arabic inscription that would be the equivalent of a European maker’s mark. Translated, it says “Abdullah worked.” Held in consecutive European private collections, including the Eugene Mollo collection (Switzerland), it is the first royal sword ever to be offered for public sale. It requires an opening bid of £900,000 ($1,203,370).

The second armor highlight is a breathtaking circa-1590 AD Italian etched and gilded half-suit of armor created by Pompeo Della Cesa, armorer to Philip II of Spain and many European dukes. The central boss on its breastplate features an image of Infant Christ in the arms of the Virgin Mary, under which appears “POMP,” the celebrated Milanese armorer’s signature. Weighing 14.4kg (31lbs 12oz), this suit would have been made for an infantryman. The illustrious line of provenance most recently includes the Prince Collection and the 2009 Galerie Fischer (Lucerne, Switzerland) auction of the Schulthess family collection. Its prior ownership can be traced back as far as the Duc de Dino Collection, which was cataloged by the Baron de Cosson in 1901 and acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1904. The opening bid is £450,000 ($602,000).

Another noteworthy armor lot is a circa 600-575 BC Corinthian helmet of hammered bronze with large almond-shape eyeholes with beveled perimeter, a slender nose guard with raised edges, and gracefully-sloping cheek guards. Similar to an example in the MET Museum, it has been XRF-tested to confirm no modern trace elements. Its well-documented lineage includes a European collector; the K Deppert collection (Frankfurt, Germany) following a 1973 purchase; and S Tarab (Geneva, Switzerland). The opening bid on this wonderful-looking opalescent-green helmet is set at £40,000 ($53,560).

Of a later but no-less-captivating era, a circa 900-1100 AD Viking or Norman conical helmet is ruggedly constructed of a single sheet of hammered iron with a T-shape nasal guard attached by five rivets. Both the brow and nose guard are artfully inlaid with dragon motifs. Its line of provenance includes an English art gallery, with acquisition in the 2010s; a private southern Germany collection formed in 1980s-2000s; and the Kenneth John Hewett collection (London), formed from the 1960s-1980s. Strong competition could ensue on auction day when this helmet opens for bidding at £6,000 ($8,035).

The array of “precious metals” continues with a very rare medieval (circa early 13th century AD) bronze lion-form aquamanile of a type that would have been used for ceremonial hand-washing before religious services or dining, especially at banquets. Its ingenious design incorporates a movable tail that serves as a pump to send water coursing through the lion’s body and out its mouth via a spout. A handsome artwork displaying a superb natural patina, its line of ownership includes a 1990s European collection and subsequent acquisition on the British art market in the 2010s. It is similar to an example in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. Bidding will start at £80,000 ($107,100).

An awe-inspiring Egyptian Eighteenth Dynasty (reign of Amenhotep IV-Akhenaten, circa 1353-1336 BC) limestone relief stele fragment features carved images of a queen of the Amarna Kingdom, King Akhenaten, and a child, most likely the young Princess Meritaten. Of vertical form with hieroglyphic inscriptions, this historically significant piece actually appears in A Wiese’s 2001 book about ancient Egyptian holdings in the Basel Museum of Antiquities. Its provenance includes the Prince Collection, 1990s-2014; and before that, the Hans Humbel Collection (Zurich). Opening bid: £20,000 ($26,740)

A leading entry from the popular category of ancient Mediterranean pottery is an ornate Apulian red-figure volute krater, circa 400-350 BC, with handles depicting Medusa. Scenes on its body include female figures, naiskos and symbolic offerings. It stands 650mm (25.6in) tall and is similar to an example at the Civic Archaeological Museum, Milan, Italy. Provenance includes a Central London gallery; a southern England estate collection since its 1990s acquisition from Andre de Munter, Brussels, Belgium; and prior to that, an old European collection. Opening bid: £5,000 ($6,695)

Only an upper-class stable could have produced the type of high-quality equine that inspired the Chinese Tang Dynasty (circa 618-906 AD) terracotta horse sculpture to be sold on Day 1 of the auction. In a resting pose with a gracefully arched neck, low head, finely drafted features and well-detailed musculature, it wears an elaborate harness with dangling tassels, a bridle, blanket and saddle. It has been TL-tested by Ralf Kotalla (report conveys to buyer), and its provenance includes a UK private collection following acquisition in the early 1990s in Hong Kong. Bidding will open at £2,000 ($2,680). 

A sizable selection of ancient jewelry includes every imaginable type of adornment. A rare and very fine pair of circa 1100-1200 AD Byzantine enameled gold earrings is designed with lunar-shape bodies engraved and enameled with a central cross and two doves. The pair is similar to earrings seen in the book The Glory of Byzantium, Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era. From a London private collection, elegant adornments come to auction with an opening bid of £8,000 ($10,720).

An attractive gold ring is set with an oval amethyst cameo dating to the Late Roman period (circa 300-350 AD) which depicts Constantine the Great, who reigned from 306-337 AD and was the first emperor to convert to Christianity. Its line of provenance includes a London ancient art collector; the Mayfair private collection of Mr P S; and earlier acquisition (1970s) on the UK art market. The opening bid is £2,000 ($2,680).

Apollo Art Auctions’ Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 12-13, 2024 Fine Ancient Art and Antiquities Auction will be a live gallery event with online bidding also available through Apollo’s bidding platform or LiveAuctioneers. Start time: 7am US Eastern Time/12 noon GMT on Day 1; and 6am US Eastern Time/11am GMT on Day 2. Goods may be previewed at the gallery October 7-11 from 10am-5pm daily. Address: 63-64 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SW. Apollo accepts payments in GBP, USD and EUR; and ships worldwide. No import charges are assessed on most antiquities sent to the United States. All packing is handled in-house by white-gloved specialists. Questions: Please call +44 7424 994167 or email [email protected]. Visit Apollo Art Auctions online at www.apolloauctions.com