Mayan Clay Head, Circa 500 CE. Central America

A wonderfully stylied and small Mayan clay Head.

The Mayans were the only ancient American civilization with a recorded history of their own, the Mayans broadcast on stone billboards (stelas), the loudest messages of all Mesoamerican cultures. They recorded on lithic monuments, pottery, papers, and skins, the grand events of their abstruse culture. Though their hieroglyphs remain to be totally deciphered, we may soon have the benefit of viewing an advanced civilization built upon "primary technology" taken to the fullest understanding of nature's provisions. In other words the Mayans went about as far as they could go within a category of earth and stone technology. Their knowledge of the Primary Technology (Nature) surely surpasses ours.The Maya flourished thanks to a deep understanding of their geographic setting, and surprising adaptations to the environmental conditions that surrounded them.

The ancient Maya culture was the more advanced in the American continent, moreover, the World of the Maya has many faces: some of them ancient, as found carved on Sculptures, paintings and towering temples, others as modern as those of the people who live in Guatemala today.

The Mayan Culture developed between 3000 and 2000 BC. Pollen samples has shown the establishments of agriculture in Guatemala by 4000 BC, and around 2500 BC initiated the building of small cities with some permanent architecture all over the country (Pre-Classic). According to Houston the Cho'lan language, the precursor to the Maya, originated in the Guatemalan Highlands, ca 3000 BC. In the tropical lowlands of El Mirador Basin, in the Petén Lowlands, Northern Guatemala, that lead to huge cities like Mirador, Nakbé, San Bartolo, Tintal and others, although there were some early cities in the Guatemala Highlands (Naranjo, Kaminal Juyú, Nebaj, Guaytán, El Portón), and in the Pacific Low Lands (Tak’alik Abaj, Chocolá), that does not reach the size of those in Petén where they build at least 27 big cities and countless smaller ones at its peak around 250 BC, then, suffered a first collapse around 150 AD, and resurging on 250 AD (Early Classic) with large cities such as Tikal, Naranjo, Yaxhá, Cancuén, Machaquilá, Ceibal, Piedras Negras, Quiriguá, Uaxactún, and many more until their final collapse around 900 A.D. (Terminal-Classic).

Provenance: Ex Mossgreen Auctions, Fine Australian & International Art & Antiques, featuring the Collection of the Late Harley Baxter, Melbourne, 22-23 November 2009
Acquisition Date: 5 janaury 2010
Size: Width : 5 cm / Depth : 3.5 cm

Sukhothai Period Celadon Bowl, circa 13th century CE, Thailand

Beautiful Sukhothai Period celadon ware bowl with cloud motif in brown glaze.

Sukhothai -"the dawn of happiness", is the name of a Thai city, which between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries was the capital and whose history sums up the beginnings of the Thai nation. A Kingdom and a dynasty were founded here in the middle of the thirteenth century, and the Thais gradually brought under their sway the whole of the land that has remained theirs, from Burma to Cambodia and, to the south, down as far as the Malay Peninsula.

For 200 years Sukhothai was the moving spirit behind this development. Its decline came about only in the first half of the fifteenth century, when a new capital farther south, Ayuthaya, was set up and became the new political centre, asserting its authority over all the cities in the new state.

The first Thai princes no doubt brought with them the Mongol hierarchical organization of society, for theirs was divided into warriors, commoners and serfs.
The Thais had already been initiated into Theravada Buddhism and before long adopted the culture of the Khmers,with its strong Indian influence, and also their customs. King Ram Khamhaeng the Great, who succeeded to the throne of Sukhothai, invented the Thai script, an adapted version of Khmer writing, which is derived in turn from a southern Indian alphabet, as attested by a stone inscription of 1283.

He is also attributed with working in co-operation with both King Ngam Muang of Phayao & King Mengrai of Lan Na helping with the choosing of the site where the new capital of Lan Na would be built, the site they collectively chose is better known as Chiang Mai today. The Three Kings Monument proudly stands today in the old centre of Chiang Mai as testiment to their co-operation.


It was the same King Ram Khamhaeng, who rebuilt the city of Sukhothai, conferring upon it the eminently religious character still so striking today. Buddhism, the official religion,espoused with such fervour that one of the king's successors became a monk for some time, co-existed peacefully not only with Hinduism but with the traditional ancestor worship and worship of spirits, including the guardian spirit of the city.

But it was Buddhism that through its doctrine and traditions was to exert a guiding influence over the development of the capital and the surrounding areas. A Sukhothai stone inscription gives a magnificent narrative of this kingdom, which at the height of its power must have had a population of nearly 300,000. The inscription names the ramparts, lakes and ponds, designating the orchards and the fields, of which it is said that "whoever cultivates them, possesses them" and, especially, enumerating the buildings erected by its kings in testimony to the irreligious zeal.

In the centre were the sanctuaries, Buddha images of all sizes in gold, bronze and stucco; to the west a monastery containing a large sanctuary enshrining the statue of a seated Buddha,eighteen cubits high( 9 metres / 30 feet); to the east, more sanctuaries; to the north towering above the houses, coconut palms and paddy fields, large Buddha images; and to the south, monasteries and temples.

Even with the waning of their prosperity, the last princes of the line were,to the end, as bountiful as their predecessors in their architectural and religious zeal.

Within the perfect rectangle, measuring 2,000 by 1,600 metres, traced out by the ramparts of this carefully planned city, there are today seventy-six of these monuments, and there are fifty outside the walls.

The abandoned city, the surrounding plain and the hills in the back-ground are now called the Sukhothai Historical Park, and in December 1991 it was declared a World Heritage Site as nominated by UNESCO. The park covers an area of 70sq kilometres (42sq miles) & contains 193 ruins of international architectural importance, and is a major tourist attraction within Thailand


Dimensions: Diameter: 15.0 cm / height: 6.0 cm
Condition: Some hairline fractures at rim, otherwise good condition.
Provenance: Sale Rooms, Melbourne, Australia

Necklace of Ancient Amber & Glass Beads (Various Cultures) circa 1st Millenium BCE to 19th Century CE

A necklace of ancient amber beads (traded from Russia into Central Asia, 1st millennium AD), large Islamic glass beads (Near East, 10th-12th century AD) and tiny Iron Age glass beads (Thailand, late 1st millennium BC) interspersed with faceted agate beads (Afghanistan, 19th century AD) and modern 18 ct gold beads.

Size: 40 cm in length
Provenance: Antiquities Sale Rooms, Melbourne, Australia.
Acquistion date 1 Jan 2010

Ginger Jar,Ming Dynasty , China

This is a surperbly beautiful pale green and blue glazed ceramic ginger jar from the Ming Dynasty Circa 16th century CE, China.

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

The last of the great four Chinese dynasties, the Ming era coincided with the European Renaissance and, as in Europe, it witnessed an upsurge in architecture, the arts and above all ceramic art. Porcelain - the signature feature of Ming culture - was perfected during the Ming Dynasty and this contributed immensely to the global reputation of Chinese potters during the late Ming period when China shifted towards a market economy and began a huge program of porcelain exports to Europe during the rule of the Wanli Emperor (1572-1620).Overall, workshops experimented with new methods of modelling and shaping, new painted designs (the most popular motifs being dragon and phoenix), and showed a new willingness to embrace foreign ideas.

Dimensions: Height: 12.0 cm
Provenance: Sale rooms

Australian Aboriginal carved baobab tree nut circa 1950

I am very proud of this piece. I plan to give it to my beautiful 8 year old Aboriginal grandson when he comes of age. He has much to proud of in his ancestors and how they were the owners of this land 60,000 years before white settlement circa 1950.

This is a beautiful carving of emu's perhaps in a 'dream-time' setting on a baobab tree nut. It was carved in Western Australia' Kimberly region.

Provenance: Ex. F.Zino Collection and purchased at a sale room.

Dimensions: Length: 17.0 cm / diameter: 10.0 cm

Various Bronze and Iron Artefacts (Horse Harness Decorations): circa 300 - 200 BCE, Afghanistan

These are quite obviously arefacts from Alexander the Greats tenure in Afghanistan. they comprise of various bronze and iron Horse Harness decorations including a winged horse (Pegasus). It may also be a stylised representation of Bucephalus: Alexanders own horse. The artefact of the winged horse is clearly Greek and after expert advice the evidence states that this piece is from a greek soliders uniform perhaps a breastplate decoration.

The other artfact has a cats face and the other of a birds face which is reminiscent of Bactrian Empire design.

Afghanistan sits at the crossroads of empires and has long been a battleground. The Greeks, Indians, Persians, Mongolians, British, and Russians have tried to hold Afghanistan. Internal strife has been constant, and Afghan forces have always been better prepared to fight an internal threat than an external invasion. Afghanistan's warring mountain tribes have always proven the invaders' ultimate test.

Provenance: Direct from Afghanistan
Acquistion Date: May 2004

Q'ing Dynasty Ceramic Black Ware Pot Circa 1644-1912 CE. China

This is a quite large (25.5cm) elegantly simple and stunningly beautiful ceramic Q'ing (Ching) Dynasty Blackware pot. The handles are in the form of dragon heads.

Black-glazed ceramics had humble origins and most were generally inexpensive utilitarian wares used by the middle class. From the tenth through thirteenth centuries, however, a high demand for vessels with thick, brownish-black glazes spread throughout most levels of Chinese society. It is estimated that, during Sung (960-1279 CE), more than a third of all kilns produced some form of brownish-black glazed ware and frequently imitated the black wares of each other in highly competitive markets.

Important centers of black ware production operated in both north and south China during Sung. The Chien kilns in Fukien province were famous for lustrous black wares decorated with a variety of iron rich compounds to create their fabled "hare's-fur," "partridge-feather," and "oil-spot" glazes. The Chi-chou kilns in Kiangsi produced an even greater variety of glaze techniques cleverly incorporating stencil wax resist, leaf, and splashed designs into their stoneware tea bowls. Several centers in north China, many of them Tz'u-chou kilns in Honan and Shansi, produced rich black wares enhanced with iron russet splashes "oil-spot" effects and "cut-glaze" designs.

Ching dynasty is a period specially noted for the production of colour glazes. In the area of monochromes, Ching potters succeeded in reproducing most of the famous glaze colours found in ceramic wares on the Sung, Yuan and Ming dynasties. In addition, they created a number of new glazes, especially the monochromes. Among them were the Sang-de-boeuf, the rough-pink, the coral red and the mirror black. All these four glazes were invented in the reign of Kang Hsi.

Dimensions 25.5cm in height
Provenance: Sale Room
Date of Purchase: July 2009

Clay Figurine of a Goddess, Circa 3300-3000 BCE, Mehrgarh culture, Indus Valley

Its very difficult to conceive that when this figurine was made the pyramids were a concept and the first stones being hewn and moved into place: nearly 5,000 years ago. She represents the long ago love of worship of the feminine: the divine. She was called by many names but was the giver of life via birth. Many archaeologists argue that there are serious limitations to a over-arching goddess worship throughout ancient societies and, so there is. But there can be no denying the importance of the ritual of birth (and death), light and dark...the balance. Definitely not the same in each culture but rpesent nonetheless.

The Indus Valley Civilization was not the first settled culture in the Indian subcontinent. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of an earlier one called the Mehargarh culture. Mehrgarh is in present day Pakistan. The site is in the Baluchistan province. It is about 125 miles from the Indus Valley. The site was first occupied around 7,000 or 8,000 B.C. It started out as a small village. The initial settlement practiced farming and raised crops, including wheat. As the community grew, farming continued, but the economy expanded and large scale trading began. Evidence shows that it traded with peoples far to the west. The goods included turqoise, cotton, and copper. Commerce was carried on with places as far away as Arabia.

By 5,000 B.C. the Mehrgarh people were living in mud brick houses and then built large permanent dwellings. Trade was the main aspect of the economy. The Mehrgarh culture continued to exist well past 4,000 B.C. Hence it must have traded with the Indus Valley Civilization, which was in existence by then.

Nowadays the Mehrgarh culture is the crux of arguments between where civilisations began. Far be it from me a novice to delve into internecine entanglements re: 'who was first'? but to say that here is a civilisation and knowledge of it will and can only benefit all of humankind.

Height: 45mm and on a custome made display stand.
Provenance: Sale Room
Acquisitio date: June 2009

Tang Dynasty Clay Lohan (Monk): circa 618-906 CE, China

This is a beautiful small clay statue of a Lohan (monk.

In Theravada Buddhism, the Arhat, Arahat or Arahant, translated into Chinese as Lohan, is one who has followed the Eightfold Path and has achieved deliverance of this earthly existence. He has reached "the other shore" and is saved for all eternity. In him the asavas - the craving for sensual pleasures, earthly existence, ignorance and wrong views - are gone. He is subject to no more rebirths and karma.

Lohans are well-known for their great wisdom, courage and supernatural power. Due to their abilities to ward off the evil, Lohans have became guardian angels of the Buddhist temple and there in the main hall standing guard are the ever-present, indomitable-looking 18 Lohan figures, sometimes accompanied by 500 or more lesser Lohans.

According to tradition, there were originally only 16 lohans. Two were added on the list by the Chinese in the Tang Dynasty.

Legend has it that the first portraits of the 18 Lohans were painted by a Buddhist monk Guan Xiu, in 891 A.D. Guan Xiu lived in Chengdu, the capital of a small kingdom, the Former Shu, formed at the decline of the Tang Dynasty in what is today's Sichuan Province. He was adept at the scholarly pursuits of painting, calligraphy and poetry.

It was because of his expert painting skill that the Lohans chose him to paint their portraits. They appeared to him in his dreams to make that request.

The traditional order of the 18 Lohans is based on the order in which they appeared in Guan Xiu's dreams, not on the strength of their power. The order is: Deer Sitting, Happy, Raised Bowl, Raised Pagoda, Meditating, Oversea, Elephant Riding, Laughing Lion, Open Heart, Raised Hand, Thinking, Scratched Ear, Calico Bag, Plantain, Long Eyebrow, Doorman, Taming Dragon and Taming Tiger Lohans.

Since then, Chinese artists, be they painters, sculptors or clay potters, have sought to give flesh and blood to these essentially mythical figures. Often they would base their portrayals of the Lohans on Guan Xiu's paintings. Innumerous legends have served to provide attributes and dispositions, from which the artists draw their inspiration. As each artist has his own method of expression, thus the portrayals of the Lohans differ from dynasty to dynasty and from place to place.

The Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) is the second great dynasty (called Da Tang 大唐 "Great Tang") of Chinese history that was able to unify a vast territory, to spread its culture and to absorb the cultures of surrounding states and peoples so mush so that a great part of Tang aristocracy was of Non-Chinese origin, and merchants from Inner Asia dwelled the quarters of the capital Chang'an 長安 (modern Xi'an 西安/Shaanxi).

Trade stretched to the South East Asian archipelago, and the religion of Buddhism spread to Korea and Japan. But at the same time, Confucianism again rose as a semi-religious instrument of state administration and won over Buddhism as a state doctrine.

The cultural glory of the Tang Dynasty was not wholly represented by her political performance: the arts flourished during this great dynasty.

Already during the Jin Dynasty, ceramics (taoqi 陶器) and porcelain (ciqi 瓷器) had made great improvements and became widespread materials. Glazing of vessels had also became normal, while Han Dynasty ceramics had only been painted. The one-colored ceramics of the time were gradually replaced during Tang Dynasty by a three colored painting (sancai 三彩), typcially with white ground, yellowish brown and dark green. Many ceramic items are shaped as horses or camels, some of the riders are definitely people from Inner Asia, showing the internationality of Tang society.

Gold and silver work was very popular under Tang because of Arabian and Persian influences. The patterns of the metal items clearly show Western influence.

Buddhist sculpture had an important meaning to court sponsored monasteries and the believers. The main works of Dunhuang and Yungang grottoes were made under patronage of the Tang emperors, especially under empress Wu Zetian.

Height : 7.2 cm
Condition: Some ancient wear otherwise intact
Provenance: Found near Xi'an and acquired from Sale Room
Acquisition Date: May 2009

Han Dynasty Clay Horse, circa 202 BCE. - 220CE China

This is an beautiful hand made clay horse. It is conjectured that it is tomb offering (replacing the need to bury live horses). I could also imagine it as a childs toy.

The Han Dynasty is actually two separate dynasties. It is considered one dynasty by the Chinese because the second dynasty was founded by a member of the former Han dynasty who declared he had restored the Han Dynasty. The original Han Dynasty was overthrown when the wealthy families gained more power than the emperor. The families became allied with each other through marriages and were responsible for the selection of officials. The widow of the emperor Yüan Ti succeeded in placing all of her relatives in government positions and ruling in place of her son. Her nephew, Wang Mang eventually declared himself emperor of a new dynasty, the Hsing (New). His rise to emperor is unusual because he gained much public support on his rise and he began a ceremony in which a seal of precious stone was passed to the emperor. From then on, whoever held this seal was the official emperor. Wang Mang was overthrown by a secret society of peasants known as the Red Eyebrows, because they painted their eyebrows red. The descendents of the Han dynasty eventually joined in the uprising, and, it was the armies of these nobles, under the leadership of Liu Hsiu, who killed Wang Mang in 22 CE. The fighting continued until 25 A.D., when Liu Hsiu became the emperor. As an emperor he was called Kuang-wu Ti. Millions of people died during the fighting, leaving land for the peasants, and often, the freedom of debt as the lenders had died.

The Han dynasty was heavily involved in trade with the people of inner Asia. Thereafter, the Silk Road was developed. The Silk Road actually consisted of more than one possible route through the mountains that the traders followed. Agriculture grew with the development of better tools. Iron tools were made of better quality, and oxen drawn ploughs were commonly used. Irrigation systems were increased to help develop the areas of North China. Crop rotation was also practiced from 85 BCE. onwards. The state attempted to monopolize the production of iron and salt, which were the two biggest sectors of the economy, but succeeded for less than a century. Silk weaving and copper work were also important activities.


The second Han Dynasty had much success with their foreign policy. Part of this success was due more to luck than to anything the Han did. The Hsiung nu who had previously been one of the most dangerous enemies of the Chinese were defeated by the Hsien-pi and the Wu-huan. Half of the Hsiung nu moved south, and became part of the Chinese empire. The Hsiung nu appeared to be trying to reunite and form a large empire comprising all of Turkestan. Thus, in 73 CE. the Chinese began a campaign in Turkestan. The whole of Turkestan was quickly conquered which would have ensured a trading monopoly, however, the emperor Ming Ti died and Chang Ti became emperor. He favored an isolationist policy so that much of what was gained in Turkestan was now lost. Pan Ch'ao, the deputy commander who had led the invasion, stayed in Turkestan to try and hold onto what had been won, and eventually in 89 CE. a new emperor came to power with a renewed interest in holding Turkestan. Despite this military success, economic and political struggles arose within China. Internal struggles for power taxed the peasants, until in 184 CE. when another peasant uprising occurred. This movement was begun by the Yellow Turbans. This uprising served to unite the factions who had previously been fighting one another because they needed to unite to defeat the Yellow Turbans. Despite conquering them, China did not return to a united state. Rather, three kingdoms emerged and the Han dynasty came to an end.

Like the Qin before them, the main goal of the Han was the unification of China. This goal led to the eventual breakup of the fiefs and the downfall of the imperial nobility. This process was finally complete during Wu Ti's reign (141-87 B.C.) His reign was a period of great military expansion. He expanded the borders into Vietnam and Korea and pushed the Hsiung nu south of the Gobi. Wu Ti transplanted an estimated 2 million people to the northwestern region in order to colonize these areas.

Dimensions: Height : 5.2 cm / Length : 6 cm
Condition: Minor ancient wear evident otherwise intact
Acquisition Date: May 2009
Provenance: Sale Room

Ushabti Figurine: Late Period, circa 525-332 BCE. Egypt

This is a beautiful piece from the Late Period of Ancient Egypt, in the last dynasties before Hellenisation with the Greek Ptolomies.

It is made from a beautiful turquoise glazed faience.



Ushabti were part of ancient Egyptian religious/magical funerary tradition. The name literally means "the one who answers" and is also sometimes spelt shabti or shawabti.
A ushabti is a small statue that was placed in an ancient Egyptian tomb. The statue usually takes the form of a mummy ("mummiform"). Often the figurines carry various tools to assist them with their chores. Some figurines were individually and intricately carved, others - often from later periods - were more crude.
So, what was the ushabti for? The idea was that it would be a bit like a golem. In the afterlife the ushabti would perform chores and work in the fields in place of the deceased, allowing them to live an afterlife of relaxation.

The ushabti figures were usually inscribed with the name of the deceased to ensure that only he could command them. The relevant spells and religious passages were inscribed as coffin texts or on the statuette itself. There is a passage in the Book of the Dead where it is said:

"Hail, Shabti Figure! If the Osiris Ani be decreed to do any of the work which is to be done in Khert-Neter, let everything which standeth in the way be removed from him-whether it be to plough the fields, or to fill the channels with water, or to carry sand from the East to the West. The Shabti Figure replieth: I will do it, verily I am here when thou callest."

In later periods the ushabti began to be seen not simply as workers but also as protectors.

Dimensions: 98mm in height and presented on a display stand.
Provenance: sale room
Aquisition Date: May 2009

Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty Cup circa late 1800's, China

Beautiful porcelaine cup with blue hand painted deatil of a scholar fisherman. This delicate little cup belongs to the later half of the 1800's CE and the last reign of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty in China.

I am currently having the reign mark on the bottom of the cup verified by experts. It could be from an earlier reign but not later I should think.

Aquisition date: May 2009

Gold Gilded Solid Cast Bronze Earring, Dvaravati Period, 7th-11th Century CE, Thailand

Beautiful gold gilded Solid bronze earring or ear ornament from the Dvaravati Period and Culture of Thailand during the 7th through to the 11th century CE.

Dvaravati refers both to a culture and a conglomerate of ancient city-states in the lower plain of the Chao Phraya river in modern day Thailand.

The style of art known as Dvaravati is distinct from subsequent Thai and Cambodian (Khmer) art forms.

The Dvaravati region comprised present day Nakhon Pathom, Lopburi, Ratchaburi and Prachinburi. Dvaravati culture flourished between the 7th and 11th century A.D. Its influence went as far south as present day Songkhla and Pattani. To the North it reached up to (present day) Lamphun, with the city-state of Haripunchai. Haripunchai survived its southern progenitors until the late 13th century A.D. when it was incorporated in the Lanna Thai Kingdom.


A museum example of Dvaravati Art:



Stone carving of scene from the Buddha's life. Dvaravati art 7th-11th century A.D. The Lord Buddha is seated in so-called 'European' fashion. This piece is housed in the Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum (Nakhon Pathom)

Earring Dimensions: 25 mm
Provenance: Sale Room
Acquisition Date: September 2007

Lead & Tin Earring, Oc-Eo Culture 2nd - 6th Century CE, Vietnam

A beautiful and quite heavy lead and tin amalgam earring (or ear ornament). This could be worn by a man or woman and was found in in the 1940's and sold from a break up of a collection of a Indochine official stationed in Saigon during the 1940s.

Oc Eo is a very large Funan culture site in the Mekong Valley of Vietnam, occupied about 250 CE. Excavated by Louis Malleret and photographed by Pierre Paris in the 1920s, Oc Eo covers some 1100 acres, with an extensive canal system and brick foundations. Trade goods at Oc Eo are known to have come from Rome, India and China.

Most interestingly, documents in mainland China written by agents of the Wu emperor in 250 CE appear to have described Oc Eo as a sophisticated country (Funan) ruled by a king in a walled palace, complete with a taxation system. The Funan culture is the precursor to the flowering of the Angkor Civilization.

Recent investigation into the canals at Oc Eo suggest that they once connected the city with the capital of Angkor Borei, the agrarian capital of the Funan culture, and may well have facilitated the remarkable trade network spoken of by the Wu emperor's agents.

Dimensions: 30mm
Provenance: Sale Room
Aquisition Date: June 2007

Statue Fragment of the Goddess Astarte circa 5th century BCE, The Levant-Lebanon

This is a beautiful piece of a statue of the Goddess Astarte who was the Phoenician goddess of fertility and reproduction and the principal deity of the port city of Sidon now in modern day Lebanon.

She was worshipped as far west as Carthage, Sicily, Sardinia and Cyprus. She was also the sister and co-consort of Baal, sharing this role with their sister Anath. Astarte is also known as Istar in Akkadian and Athtar in Sabaean.

She was worshiped under other names and forms in other regions -- Ishtar in Babylonia and Assyria, Inanna in Sumeria, and is linked to Aphrodite in Greece.

Astarte is also represented as a Moon goddess in certain cultures 9obvious link with fertility and menstural phases. She was worshipped by the Sabaeans (contemporary Yeman, Eritrea) was Astarte, or Ashtart, whom they called Astar, which means "womb." The giver and destroyer of life, Astar was Queen of Heaven and Mother of all Deities. Arriving from heaven as a ball of fire, and accompanied by a lioness, she was pictured with horns, and a disc of the sun above her forehead int hat culture.

She is often displayed in a fertility pose: here she holds out her breasts meaning the milk of life (giver of life) and of abundance. At times she is represented as heavily pregnanct (fecundity) or with exagerated genitalia for her role as the Goddess of sexual relations but again linked with fertility.

Dimensions: 5.0 cm fragment on a display stand.
Provenance: Sale rooms
Acquisition Date: 4 May 2009

Ch'ing (Qing) Dynasty Green Jade Bird Amulet circa early 20th Century CE

Chinese stylised bird Green Jade Amulet from the Ch'ing (Qing) or Manchu Dynasty.

This amulet belonged to a Manchu Bannerman Family in Beijing. He held Court Rank in the last days of the Ch'ing (Qing) Dynasty.

Measurements: 53mm / 33mm

Provenance: Sale Room

Acquisition Date: 30 April 2009

Amulet of the Ibis-headed God Thoth, Dynasty XXVI, 664-525 BCE, Egypt

This is a turquoise-glazed faience amulet of the Ibis Headed Egyptian God Thoth. It is set on a dispaly stand. The amulet suffered damage in its day and has now been restored.

Thoth's other names include Djehuty, Jehuti, Tahuti, Tehuti, Zehuti, Techu, or Tetu, Lord of the Khemenu. One of Thoth's titles, "Three times great, great" was translated to the Greek (Trismegistos) making Hermes Trismegistus.

Thoth was considered one of the more important deities of the Egyptian pantheon, often depicted with the head of an Ibis. His feminine counterpart was Seshat. His chief shrine was at Khemennu, where he led the local pantheon, later renamed Hermopolis by the Greeks (in reference to him through the Greeks' interpretation that he was the same as Hermes) and Eshmunen in Coptic. He also had shrines in Abydos, Hesert, Urit, Per-Ab, Rekhui, Ta-ur, Sep, Hat, Pselket, Talmsis, Antcha-Mutet, Bah, Amen-heri-ab, and Ta-kens.

Thoth was thought to be scribe to the gods, who kept a great library of scrolls. He was associated by the Egyptians with speech, literature, arts, learning. He, long with his wife, was a measurer and recorder of time.



(Thoth Ibis Headed and Seti, Temple of Abydos, Egypt)

Thoth has played a prominent role in many of the Egyptian myths. Displaying his role as arbitrator, he had overseen the three epic battles between good and evil. All three battles are fundamentally the same and belong to different periods. The first battle took place between Ra and Apep, the second between Heru-Bekhutet and Set, and the third between Horus, the son of Osiris, and Set. In each instance, the former god represented order while the latter represented chaos. If one god was seriously injured, Thoth would heal them to prevent either from overtaking the other.

Height: 32mm (not including the stand)
Provenance: Sale Room
Acquisition date: 30 April 2009

Australian Aboriginal Stone Hand Knife circa 1000-1800 CE, Wonboyn Lake, NSW, Australia

Aboriginal hand-made granite stone knife used to crack open shellfish along the shore line. Possibly of the Yuin, Bidwell or Kunai Peoples. Very sharp along the ridge and fits comfortably into an adult womans hand. Found at Lake Wonboyn far south coast of New South Wales. Approximately 10 metres from the lakes shoreline and in a steep incline and sitting proud out of a Aboriginal Peoples shell midden of some considerable age. The midden has continuous shell deposits of some 2-3 mtrs.

Upon experimenting, the knife can still be used to open shell-fish.

This particular artefact will be left to my grandson. He is part Aboriginal and his ancestors 'mob' came from the Dharug peoples.

Size: 15cm /9cm
Acquired by Find.
Acquisition Date: 8 February 2009

Conch Shell Pendant-ornament 3,000-2,700 BCE, Early Bronze Age, Bactria Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), (Northern Afghanistan)

This simple object is quite possibly the most fascinating object in my collection. The age of this object is enormous and for reference as to age, this object AS A PENDANT ORNAMENT where it was found is older than the Great Pyramids which were built in 2560BCE. It is important to note that the age of 3,000-2,700 BCE is calculated on its use as a pendant-ornament at its last location and by the archaeological strata it was found in. For its true age please read on...

A conch shell appearing in a place so remote from the tropical places these shells are found in is remarkable. Northern Afghanistan is about the middle (roughly) of Central Asia. Even in those times the trade routes must have been well established and covered quite literally 1,000's of miles. To have traded this from so far means that it passed through many hands staying with each for years or generations. I believe that this object was originally of the Early Archaic Period: 8,000-6,000 BCE which is staggering. If you think about the ending of the Ice Age and Mastadons are still found in certain places, then one can truly grasp the enormity of the time line.

When I hold this object I feel a great sense of other-worldliness: of great expanses of time and I am touching an object a hand made millenia ago right at the dawn of pottery and sustained long term agriculture in that area.

The discovery of a single tiny stone seal with geometric markings from a BMAC site in Turkmenistan in 2001 led some to claim that the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex had also developed writing and thus may indeed be considered a literate civilization. It is not clear however if the markings represent a true writing system as opposed to isolated pictographs.

Measurements: 55mm /45mm
Provenance: Sale Room
Date of Acquisition: February 2006

Bronze Spear & Arrow Head: 800-600 BCE, Syria

These two items are very representative of Bronze Age weapons before the use of iron in a major way. These weapons were made in the era of the mid to late Assyrian Empire or Babylonian rule over the same area. The weapons still hold their shape and would have proved deadly in use.

Arrowhead: 3.5 inches in length
Spearhead: 6.5 inches in length

To give you idea of what was happening in that time from a historical perspective:

• 853 B.C. The ruler of Damascus leads a coalition of twelve kings, including Ahab of Israel, against the army of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III. Although the coalition is initially successful, Israel and many of the other states are eventually forced to pay tribute.

• 745–727 B.C. The Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III reorganizes the empire by creating a system of directly administered provinces from conquered territories. The king launches a program of mass deportation in which tens of thousands of people are moved from one area of the empire to another. As a result of the conquest and deportation of the inhabitants of the Aramaean city-states, the Aramaean language and alphabetic script, written on parchment and leather, spread rapidly across the region.

• 722/1 B.C. The Assyrian king Sargon II completes the siege and capture of Samaria, capital of Israel, deporting a large section of its population. Centers of ivory carving exist throughout the region and a variety of styles are identifiable. Ivories from the south exhibit Egyptian iconography, whereas examples from further north reflect older Hittite traditions.

• 609 B.C. The last Assyrian king makes his final stand at the city of Harran and, together with his Egyptian allies, is defeated by the forces of the Babylonian king Nabopolassar.

Items were purchased via a registered dealer and sale house in 2007

Nal Phase (Early Harappan: early Bronze Age) Indus Valley painted Buffware Jarlet with Suspension Holes

This jarlet is from the Nal Phase, circa 3300-3000 BCE, Mehrgarh Culture, India Valley. It has a wonderful linear designs in a brown pigment.

Height: 50mm / Diameter: 80mm
Acquired via Sale Room: March 2009

Mehrgarh Culture (7000 BCE to 3000 BCE)
Mehrgarh is one of the most significant sites belonging to the Neolithic Age. At the same time, it is one of the oldest sites that indicate the introduction of the concept of farming and herding. Situated on the Kachi plain of Baluchistan (Pakistan), it lies to the west of the Indus River valley. The site of Mehrgarh, spread over an area of 495-acre, was discovered in the year 1974.

Time Line
Integration Era
Harappan Phase 2600 to 1900 BC
Harappa: Period 3C, Final 2200-1900 BC
Localization Era
Late Harappan Phase ca. 1900 to 1300 BC
Harappa: Periods 4 and 5 1900-1700 BC
Harappa: Period 3B, Middle 2450-2200 BC = Nausharo, Period III
Harappa: Period 3A, Initial 2600-2450 BC = Nausharo, Period II
Regionalization Era
Early Harappan (several Phases) ca. 5500 to 2600 BC (Jarlet from this period)
Harappa: Period 2, Kot Diji Phase 2800-2600 BC= Nausharo, Period I, = Mehrgarh, Period VII (Kot Diji Phase)
Harappa: Period 1,A & B, Ravi Phase 3300-2800 BC = Mehrgarh, Period IV to VI 3500-2800 BC
Mehrgarh, Period III 4800-3500 BC Mehrgarh, Period II 5500-4800 BC
Early Food Producing Era
Neolithic ca. 7000 to 5500 BC
Mehrgarh, Period 1, Aceramic 7000-5500 BC

Shunga Red Clay Horse In the Form of a Rython circa 5th century CE

This beautiful piece is a Shunga rython in the form of a horse from the Gupta Empire period circa 5th century CE Indus Valley. This piece belongs to the cross-over time betwen the Shunga and Gupta Dynasties

A Rython is a vessel for pouring ritual libations to the god/gods. Most rythons were ceremonial and took the form of a diety or animal.

The Gupta Empire (Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश) was founded by Sri-Gupta. The Empire covered most of Northern India and Eastern Pakistan , parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan and what is now western India and Bangladesh. The capital of the Guptas was Pataliputra (this was also capital for the previous Shunga Dynasty) in present day Patna, in the north Indian state of Bihar.The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors. Historians place the Gupta dynasty alongside with the Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and Roman Empire as a model of a classical civilization. The time of the Gupta Empire is referred to by some scholars as the Golden Age of India in science, mathematics, art, astronomy, religion, dialectic and Indian philosophy.

At the beginning of the 5th century CE (where this piece is dated from) the Guptas established and ruled a few small Hindu kingdoms in Magadha and around modern-day Bihar.

Measurements: Length 10.5cm / height 9.2cm

Acquired via sale room: April 2009

For more information on the Indus Valley, please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilization

Cookery Bowl, Markham Valley, Papua New Guinea

Clay bowl measuring 11 inches across with decorative motive. Circa early 1970's and was acquired in 2008 from the break up of an older more extensive collection.

Markham Valley is located in Papua New Guinea. The valley is an extremely fertile place where many tribes naturally settled.

For more information about pottery and other artefacts from this region of Papua Neion w Guinea, please visit:

http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/wriston/collections/sepik/bowls.html

For more information on Papua New Guinea, please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea

Provenance: This bowl once formed a small part of an extensive collection of Papuan and New Guinea artefacts. At the time of the collectors aquisition of this item, it was traded directly from the owner to P. Camilleri : the original collector. This occurred in 1970.