Ancient Marble Fountain

A large Bactrian marble staff circa late 3rd-2nd millennium BCE. The Bactrian culture was discovered by Soviet archeologists in the 1970s in Afghanistan. Also called the Oxus culture...

This impressive bust is depicted with head turned slightly to the right and gaze lifted. His eyes are articulated, with the pupils indicated with a drill, giving the face a striking realism. The shoulders are draped with a cloak. Straight brows sit beneath a mass of thickly curling hair, which continues to a full beard. It is worked with great skill, evident in the heavy drill work articulating and highlighting the voluminous curls, and the highly polished surfaces, giving the appearance of soft skin. The contrast between these textures gives a chiaroscuro affect which is one of the main traits of the best Antonine busts. Roman marble portraits reached their apotheosis of craftmanship and technique under the Antonine emperors, as is evidenced in this masterful bust. The evolution of the style may be traced back to the emperor Hadrian, who was the first emperor to wear a full beard. The articulation of pupils and iris appears on busts of his lover Antinous, a novelty which continued in later Antonine portraits, such as this one. The features of this bust point to a possible identification of Emperor Lucius Verus...

A rare Greco-Bactrian alabaster carving of a Hippocampus (Hippocamp) from antiquity, Central Asia or Afghanistan, circa 200 BCE. Finely carved from banded alabaster as a hippocampus ...

A Chinese hand carved and hand painted wooden effigy of an extraordinary unicorn dating to the Song dynasty before 1279 AD. Please enjoy the beautiful remnants of its aged original ...

Two ancient Samaritan, Holy Land, terracotta pottery oil lamps, each with molded geometric palm branch designs, circa 3rd to 4th centuries CE, both with clear acrylic stands. Dimens...

A Chinese hand carved and hand painted wooden effigy of a fantastic Bixie dating to before Song dynasty 1279 AD. Please enjoy the beautiful remnants of its aged original swirling painted surfaces. It has been traditionally carved and assembled in three sections. The tail may be a later replacement. Period: Song dynasty Dimensions: 6 inches high and 15 inches wide About Bixie The “bixie” is a mythological creature commonly thought to be able to ward off evil forces with its magical powers. In fact, its name means “to ward off evil” in Chinese. In the Han dynasty, “bixie” were commonly represented as winged, four-legged beasts, a form that was probably transmitted from Western Asia. Provenance: This is from a private collection and were acquired by us along with a larger wooden horse...