Superb Pharnabazos Stater

Saint Nazaire Sword, Late Bronze Age, circa 800-900 B.C. An exceptionally well preserved Bronze Age sword, with elegant, finely incised decorations,...

'Louis XIV' Gogotte Formation Measures: circa 30 Million y/o 105 x 76 x 15 cm A magnificent example of a gogotte formation, nicknamed Louis XIV, composed of thick swirls and folds of sparkling sandstone. Discovered in the Oligocene sand dunes of Fontainebleau, France, formed circa 30 million years before present or later. The incredible, almost otherworldly appearance of gogottes may easily be mistaken for the work of a most talented artist. In fact, these sandstone sculptures are entirely natural in origin. They have been found in multiple locations but those from Fontainebleau, such as the present example, are the most remarkable. Thirty-five million years ago, a sea covered what is now the forest of Fontainebleau, and dunes of exceptionally fine and homogenous sand formed. As silica-rich water filtered through this sand, it turned into stone. The flow of water finely modelled the sandstone into the forms we now know as gogottes. These are rare and are only found sporadically, several metres buried underground. They owe their sparkling white appearance to the extreme and unmatched purity of the Fontainebleau sand, sometimes reaching a composition of 99.9% silica. Each of them is unique – a masterpiece slowly fashioned by the hands of Nature. The name “gogotte” was coined by French geologist Claude Guillemin (1923- 1994), inspired by the children’s book series Babar the Elephant...

Corinthian helmet with Bull Horns and Lotus Flower Decoration. Archaic Period, c.550-500 BC. Cast, hammered and incised bronze. An exceptionally well preserved example of one of the most iconic ancient Greek...

Gogotte formation circa 30 Million y/o Measures : 42 x 21 x 63 cm. A magnificent example of a gogotte formation, composed of thick swirls and fo...

A magnificent example of a gogotte formation composed of thick swirls and folds of sparkling sandstone. Discovered in the Oligocene sand dunes of Fontainebleau, France, formed circa 30 million years before present or later. The incredible, almost otherworldly appearance of gogottes may easily be mistaken for the work of a most talented artist. In fact, these sandstone sculptures are entirely natural in origin. They have been found in multiple locations but those from Fontainebleau, such as the present example, are the most remarkable. Thirty-five million years ago, a sea covered what is now the forest of Fontainebleau, and dunes of exceptionally fine and homogenous sand formed. As silica-rich water filtered through this sand, it turned into stone. The flow of water finely modelled the sandstone into the aesthetic concretions we now know as gogottes. These are rare and are only found sporadically several metres deep into the ground. They owe their sparkling white appearance to the extreme and unmatched purity of the Fontainebleau sand, sometimes reaching a composition of 99.9% silica. Each of them is unique – a masterpiece slowly fashioned by the hands of Nature. The intriguing name of “gogotte” was coined by French geologist Claude Guillemin (1923- 1994), who was inspired by the children’s book series Babar the Elephant. In one of the books, a group of monsters called Gogottes are shown hiding behind rocks. These rocks reminded Guillemin of the sandstone concretions...

Head of a Satyr Roman, circa 2nd - 3rd century AD Carved and highly polished marble An extremely fine marble head of a satyr, depicted with ivy wreath, curly hair and pointed goat’...

Superb Italian Greyhound dog sculpture, made in terracotta, circa 1950.

Benitoite on Natrolite, California State Gem Mine, Santa Rita Peak, San Benito County, California, USA 3.5 cm tall x 7 cm wide Benitoite is a very rare species, discovered in 1906 i...

Superb bronze bust of Henri IV as young boy in doublet with standing collar (King of France 1589-1610) after François-Joseph Basio (1768-1845). The original was sculpted in 1822 and ...

Superb quality antique Victorian alabaster bust of a young lady on the original marble base. A charming decorative piece in lovely original condition. Measures: H 32 x W 28.5 x...

Two superb Italian pine Bacchanalian figures dancing with garlands in their hair, one on a wine skin with a horn, the other on a shell with a trumpet.

Large Rococo porcelain figure group depicting a scene of peasants, a young woman playing a guitar in the top of a rock accompanied by a young c...