15th Century and Earlier Art

Sitting Madonna Central Italy/Tuscany or Marche Around 1420 Poplar wood carved Original version Height 31 cm Charming Madonna sculpture from the heyday of the Soft or International...

Upper Italy 2nd half 12th century Maple Original version Height 67 cm

The Marriage, 15th/16th Century school of BALDASSARE ESTENSE (1443-1504) Large 15th Century Ferrara School portrait of a husband and wife worshipping outside a small hillside town,...

Artist: Erhard Ratdolt (German, 1442-1528) Title: "Preface Page" and "Page CVI - 106" Portfolio: Missale Frisingense Year: 1492 (First edition) Medium: Set of Two Original Incunabula Leaves on watermarked laid paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Erhard Ratdolt, Ausburg, Germany Publisher: Sixtus of Tannberg, Freising, Germany Reference: Hain No. 11303; Weale/Bohatta No. 396; Schreiber No. 4699; Pell No. 7944 Sheet size (each): approx. 11.94" x 8.13" Condition: "Preface Page" has the occasional wormhole. Remnants of tape, a tape and a paper clip stain along its edge. Minor foxing and soiling mainly in margins. "Page CVI - 106" has remnants of tape and a small stain along its left edge. Light foxing and soiling about its sheet with some general edge wear. Have been professionally stored away for decades. They are both otherwise strong impressions in good condition with strong colors Very rare Notes: Comes from Ratdolt's one volume "Missale Frisingense", (1492) (First edition), which consists of 576 pages of Gothic texts in Latin with red rubricated initials, music, and woodcut engraved illustrations. Printed in Augsburg by Erhard Ratdolt on March 17, 1492. "Preface Page" has a bull's head and cross watermark in the upper center of its sheet. Some information and old prices inscribed in pencil to their sheets. A missal is a book that contains the prayers, chants, biblical readings, and rubrics for celebrating Mass. The first missals were found in monasteries in the 12th and 13th centuries. The term missale is Latin for "Mass book". Biography: Erhard Ratdolt (1442–1528) was an early German printer from Augsburg. He was active as a printer in Venice from 1476 to 1486, and afterwards in Augsburg. From 1475 to 1478 he was in partnership with two other German printers. The first book the partnership produced was the Calendarium (1476), written and previously published by Regiomontanus, which offered one of the earliest examples of a modern title page. Other noteworthy publications are the "Historia Romana of Appianus" (1477), and the first edition of "Euclid's Elements" (1482), where he solved the problem of printing geometric diagrams, the "Poeticon astronomicon", also from 1482, "Haly Abenragel" (1485), and "Alchabitius" (1503). Ratdolt is also famous for having produced the first known printer's type specimen...

MUSEUM CORPUS CHRISTI Spain/Catalonia or Asturias Around 1250 Corpus hardwood, arms softwood Remains of the original polychrome setting Height 109.5...

Provenance: Achillito Chiesa, Milan Luigi Albrighi, Florence, by 1 July 1955 with Marcello and Carlo Sestieri, Rome, 1969 Private Collection, Connecticut Exhibited: Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, South Hadley, Massachusetts (on loan, 2012) Literature: Carlo Volpe, “Alcune restituzioni al Maestro dei Santi Quirico e Giulitta,” in Quaderni di Emblema 2: Miscellanea di Bonsanti, Fahy, Francisci, Gardner, Mortari, Sestieri, Volpe, Zeri, Bergamo, 1973, pp. 19-20, fig. 18, as by the Master of Saints Quiricus and Julitta (now identified as Borghese di Piero). This fine predella panel depicting the Baptism...

A gray sandstone head of Avalokiteshvara, Khmer, Cambodia, Bayon Style from the 13th century. The artwork is unsigned. Provenance: Charles Craig, Privat...

Roman marble altar fragment with cupid Provenance: Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996), Paris and Geneva

Provenance: Private Collection, New Jersey The present painting depicts Saint Vincent Ferrer preaching from a raised pulpit to a group of seven peopl...

Large Virgin and Child in carved wood, carved back. Sitting on a throne bench, Mary carries Christ seated on her left knee. The Virgin has a face with stylized features with semicircular eyebrow arches, almond-shaped eyes with protruding eyeballs. Marie is wearing a belted dress with a simple neckline and a coat with a flap that goes back to the front. Tiny traces of polychromy. Romanesque influences are still present. With her protruding eyes, she can also be compared to the statuary of Lake Constance. Our Virgin, rare for its size, nevertheless presents strong analogies with the Italian Sedes Sapientiae...

4x3 Ceramic Ancient clay perfume jug from the Iron Age discovered in Jerusalem.

Splendid polychrome wooden sculpture depicting the Blessing Child Jesus, made by a Central Italian master in the 14th century. The work, 66 cm high, is distinguished by its harmoniou...

Rare, Late Roman Empire (3rd to 5th centuries, C.E.), solid marble bust of a young man. Beautiful patina. Mounted on a later, Carrara marble base.

PAIR OF ROMANESQUE MARBLE COLUMNS Italy, 13th/14th Century marble 86 x 16 x 13 cm 33 3/4 x 6 1/4 x 5 in

Large catalan Virgin of the Annunciation in polychrome wood. Our Virgin is represented in the phase of the Conturbatio, Mary expresses her amazement a...

Grande Vierge à l'Enfant en chêne de la fin du 13ème siècle ou début du 14ème siècle. La plastique des visages et du Christ évoque le 13ème siècle (le visage de la Vierge évoque le visage de la Sedes Sapientiae...

A set of figurative sculptures, ceramic in greens and browns by an unknown Chinese artist. The piece is from the Ming Dynasty and is unsigned.

Original leaflet from Johann Prüss' 1479 printing of "Das Heldenbuch." The Heldenbücher is the title given to a group of late medieval/early renaissance Germanic manuscripts primari...

This Chinesco bowl was from a pre-Columbian society from around 300 BCE. It features abstract, geometric designs in red and black. The diameter is 8".

This young saint or angel has suffered over the centuries, but his spirit has not been broken - and miraculously, his beautiful face has remained intact. With a gentle face and an al...

Standing angel with banner Flemish Around 1450/60 Sandstone 60 x 21 x 15 cm This museum figurine shows a standing angel with a banner in his right hand and a small box in his left. The youthful, ageless figure wears a coat held together with a triangular, floral brooch in front of the chest over a long robe. The angel’s gaze is directed forward, his head tilted slightly to the left. The elongated face is sculpted: the large almond-shaped eyes with accentuated upper and lower eyelids are alertly open and sharp eyebrows lead directly into the root of the nose. The straight nose above the pronounced mouth completes the idealized oval face of the angel and his calm, internalized facial expression. What is particularly remarkable, however, is the magnificent curls, which are only partially tamed by a simple headband. As if puffed up by the wind, the hair, which is sometimes streaked in parallel, sometimes wildly twisted and richly curled, stands out dynamically from the ears. The tilted head with these sideways protruding waves of hair thus conveys an immediate impression of movement. The physicality of the sculpture is expressed particularly through this organic, lifelike movement of the loosened hair. The lively overall impression of the figure is further enhanced by the multiple rolled banners that the angel presents to the viewer. The outstretched palm of the right hand appears both intimate and confidential as well as mystically revealing. This banderole winds in gentle curves in front of the figure’s body, throws a fold over the second attribute in the angel’s left hand and falls downwards in a loose manner. The volute-shaped rolled up end of the banner clearly shows the fine texture of the banner and at the same time draws the viewer’s attention to the small cube-shaped box that the angel is holding in its slender, long-limbed fingers. The cube is decorated with a Gothic quatrefoil motif, which is often seen in the architectural tracery of windows, but was also often used to decorate caskets and other small treasures. The sweeping gestures in the presentation of the attributes suggest three-dimensionality, in contrast to the tubular folds at the base of the neck and the intricate draperies in flat and multiple overlapping garment sections. The soft curves of the folds give the impression that the clothing is made of a heavy fabric that falls diagonally down the front and is laid in several bowl folds under the right hand. Overall, the sculptural work testifies to the highest artistic skill, which emphasizes the virtuosity of sculpture in its precious and representative overall impression. The memorable characteristics recognizable here can be seen in comparable pictorial works from Utrecht around the middle of the 15th century, when sculptural art – especially stone sculpture – was characterized by a remarkably high quality. Particularly noteworthy is the accentuated Utrecht head type with an elongated oval face, almond-shaped eyes with heavy lids and dense, vividly protruding tufts of hair framing the head. For example, the figure is comparable to a capital of an angel on the east side of the rood screen of the Joriskerk in Amersfoort (province of Utrecht) from the second quarter of the 15th century. Not only the physiognomy and hair, which in the comparative example stand somewhat more horizontally to one side, but also the garment puff above the girdle are similar. Even more related motifs, such as the cleverly placed bowl folds, can be found on the limestone figure...

This muscular male torso probably comes from a larger relief, which would have decorated the front part of a sarcophagus. It likely represents the figure of a satyr, standing, with t...

ROMAN RED JASPER APPLIQUE OF TRAGIC ACTOR Rome, 1st Century A.D. 5.5 x 4.2 cm the mask 2 1/4 x 1 3/4 in Provenance Penicuik House, Midlothian, acquired by either Sir John Clerk, 2nd...

Sensitively carved, solid marble bust of a young boy mounted on a custom, Lucite base. Carved fully in the round, though originally the figure was pa...

A schist stone carving from 2nd/3rd Century Gandhara depicting scenes from the life of Buddha. Provenance: Spink and Sons LTD, 1985.

Large romanesque capital with water leaf in red Verona marble. This type of capital is typical of 12th century Cistercian abbeys and represents a tr...

Catalan School of the 13th century. Bishop statue in polychrome wood. Large polychrome wooden statue representing a holy bishop carrying a crosier and ma...

Magnificent standing figure, Costa Rica, ca. 1000-1500. Carved volcanic stone. Measures 16.5 x 9 x 5.5 inches. Outstanding condition with no damage. The figure represents a captured...

Fascinating limestone gargouille (or gargoyle) from the region of Avignon, France, dating from the 14th century. A rare and striking hand-carved piece that perfectly embodies the med...

Moses Parts the Red Sea & Receives the Ten Commandments - Leaflet from the 1497 'Pirate' Nuremberg Chronicles The Nuremberg Chronicles were first published in 1493 by Anton Koberg...

Relief with saint Georges France, 15th Century limestone 26 x 20 cm (10 1/4 x 7 3/4 in) without base

A Sancai, tri color glazed pottery figure of a Tang Dynasty official. Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

PROVENANCE Private J.E. Collection, Bavaria, 1960s

This bronze sculpture is an exquisitely detailed representation of the god Dionysos, whose cult was one of the most popular in ancient times. Here, the god is nude, with a mantle that gently lies on his right leg. He is holding a bunch of grapes with his left hand, and a rhyton (drinking horn) with the right. The god is youthful and joyfully gazes forwards, with a crown of ivy leaves set upon his long flowing hair. These features clearly resemble those of the life-size Roman marble sculpture of Dionysos exhibited at the British Museum, acc. no. 1861,0725.2 . This statuette was probably part of a larger composition and used as a decorative element applied to a piece of furniture. Its finely wrought details, as well as the attractive olive-green patina led to its inclusion in the collection of the Fitchburg Art Museum for thirty years. PROVENANCE English Private Collection (Sotheby’s, London 17-18 July 1985, Lot 204) Royal Athena...

Bronze figure of a young Eros, caught in the pose of riding a dolphin. Attractive green patina, some fingers and right foot are broken. Separately worked left wing is missing. Right ...

English School 15th Century The Consecration of a Church Illuminated manuscript on Vellum Image size: 5 ½ x 5 inches (14 x 12.7 cm) 18th century ornate Tabernacle frame

TERRACOTTA FIGURINE OF A COMIC ACTOR , Greece, c. 350 B.C. Labeled to the reverse, 'LAWRENCE COLL./LOT 426. SOTHEBY./APR. 1892. P. 816.'; Terracotta height 15.2 cm height 6 in Prove...

PROVENANCE Louis de Clercq (1836-1901), Paris Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996), Paris and Geneva; thence by descent to the present owner LITERATURE A. de Rid...

An Indonesian offer post from the Tetum people of Timor Island. The work is stone and is unsigned.

This beautiful cast bronze elephant head is a protome, which in ancient art was a decorative element consisting of a head - sometimes with part of the bust - of a human, animal, or f...

Roman Marble Altar fragment from the 1st/2nd Century A.D. with the typical element of Roman rituals. Provenance: Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996), Paris...

PROVENANCE Herbert A. Cahn (1915-2002), Kunst der Antike, Basel, 1988 Private Collection, Paris

The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate

Carved wooden tribal mask 7 x 20 x 10 cm height with base: 38 cm

This exceptional and rare rendering of a horse head, composed of gold over silver, hails from the illustrious Tang dynasty of China. The powerful Tang dynasty reigned for nearly 300 ...

In celebration of the Year of the Rabbit, Hunt Slonem’s iconic muse is revisited in timeless powder-coated aluminum. Each edition is signed, numbered, and comes with a certificate of...

15th C. Tibetan Tsakali "High Lama Presenting a Ceremonial Scarf" MIneral pigne 6 1/4 x 4 (16 x 13 3/4 frame) inches

Beautiful linden wood carving depicting a Pieta. France, Burgundian-Flemish current, late 15th to early 16th century. This theme is not found in the Bible but is derived from apocr...

Etching on paper with Schriftband watermark. Reference: Bartsch 7 III/IV (from VI). A very fine, early impression. Printed with the name of the artist, but before the addition...

Size: 36,5 x 30 cm / 14,37 x 11,81 inches Limited Edition of 206/300 Signed and numbered by Laurent Durieux

An evocative, 14th century, carved wood statue of a seated Mary with the Christ child in her lap. The piece with a beautiful patina featuring polychrome paint traces. Now mounted on ...

Over 350 year old antique copper engraving of the floor plan to the Spada palace in Rome, Italy by Italian Giacomo Rossi, 1650. Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat wi...

Over 350 year old antique copper engraving of the floor plan to the Palace of Cardinal Este located in Tivoli, Italy by Italian Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi, 1650. Original artwork on ...

This large geode is an intriguing sculpture with immense depth and contrasting textures. Size: 31 x 25 x 5 inches Size with base: 41 x 25 x 5 inches

Woodcut on laid paper, 8 3/8 x 9 1/8 inches (212 x 233 mm), the full sheet. In excellent condition with text and portraits of Empedocles, Sapho, Zeuxis and others on the verso, as is...

Over 350 year old exquisite antique copper engraving of the architectural floor plans to Massimi Palace in Italy by Giovanni Giacomo de' Ross...

Unusual 14th Century Italian marble mortar with animals depicted on the sides

Over 350 year old antique copper engraving of the architectural floor plans to Sacchetti Palace in Italy by Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi, 1650....

Antique copper engraving of the floor plan to Crescenzi Palace in Rome, Italy by Italian Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi, 1650. Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat with a...

Fascinating limestone gargouille (or gargoyle) from the region of Avignon, France, dating from the 14th century. A rare and striking hand-carved piece that perfectly embodies the med...