By Carter B. Horsley

This Antiquities Auction at Christie's December 9, 2008 is highlighted by several spectacular works, the foremost being Lot 142 a Roman bronze of Hercules that is 8 1/2 inches high and is not only perfection in execution but poetic and inspiring in its very fluid form. It has a modest estimate of $300,000 to $500,000 and is one of the rare and extraordinary works that by themselves make a collection important without any other works. It failed to sell.

Another Roman work from the same period is Lot 145, a marble statue of Venus Anadyomene that is 9 nine inches high. The goddess is show nujde with her hands each attending to the long plaits of her center-parted hair. The work is not as finely sculpted as the Hercules bronze but there is a great charm about her elegant pose and lithe body and her lovely face. The work has a very modest estimate of $8,000 to $12,000. It also failed to sell.

Another marvelous Classical piece is Lot 119, a Greek bronze statue of Aphrodite that is 11 inches high and dates circa 2nd to 1st Century B.C. It is based on the renowned 4 th Century masterpiece known as the Cnidian Aphrodite by Praxiteles that portrays the goddess as she emerges from her bath. She is in fine condition except that she is missing her lower legs. A similar piece is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This lot has a modest estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It sold for $242,500 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.

Another Aphrodite, this time a Roman bronze of Isis-Aphrodite, circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D., is Lot 135. It has an ambitious estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It failed to sell. She is in fine condition except that she is missing her right arm. A similar bronze is at the Louvre.

Lot 180 is a very impressive, large and superb bronze portrait head of the Emperor Vespasian. The Roman work is 16 1/8 inches high and is dated circa mid 3rd Century A.D. It has an estimate of $700,000 to $900,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 124 is a fine Greek bronze of a genre figure that is 14 1/2 inches high and dated circa mid 1st Century B.C. It has an estimate of $150,000 to $250,000. It failed to sell. The figure is in fine condition except that it is missing its arms and feet.

Lot153 isa fine Roman bronze sculpture of a running Cupid Lampidarius that is 21 1/8 inches high and is dated circa 1st Century A.D. It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It is in very fine condition except that it is missing both arms. It failed to sell.

Lot 148 is a very dramatic Roman bronze theater mask, circa 1st Century A.D. It is 15 1/4 inches high and has an ambitious estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 104 is quite haunting and lovely Greek marble veiled female head from the Classical Period, circa 4th Century B.C. It is 7 inches high. It has a modest estimte of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $62,500.

Lot 35 is an impressive and finely carved Egyptian bust of an official in black granite. It is dated Dynasty XXX to early Ptolemaic Period, circa 4th-early 3rd Century B.C. It is 13 1/2 inches high. It has an estimate of $250,000 to $350,000. It failed to sell.

One of the finer Egyptian works is Lot28, a Nubian serpentine shabti for the King of Senkamenisken, Sudan, Napatan Period, 643-623 B.C. It is 6 5/8 inches high and has hieroglyphics entirely around it. It has an estimate of $80,000 t o$120,000. It sold for $98,500.

Lot 18 is a very handsome and fine Egyptian granite head of a goddess or lady that is 9 inches high and is dated late New Kingdom to Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty XIX-XXII, 1307-712. The face is in excellent condition. It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 13 is a striking and very handsome and large pair of Egyptan glass eye inlays, 3 1/2 inches long each, white calcite sclerae with obsidian ireses, blue glass lids, New Kingdom, Dynasty VXII-XX, 1550-1070 B.C. The lot has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $43,750.

Lot 26 is a finely carved bronze statue of Ptah.The Egyptian piece dates from the Third Intermediate Period to the Late Period, 1070 to 343 B.C. It is 7 7/16 inches high and has an estmate of $8,000 to $12,000. It failed to sell.

One of the more intriguing works in the auction is Lot 45, a Bactrian seated female figure of copper alloy that is 4 1/4 inches high. It has a estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It failed to sell.

One of the auction's more exotic works is Lot 56, a rather rotund South Arabian female figure in alabaster from the early 3rd Century B.C. It is 8 1/2 inches high and has a conservative estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $20,000.

Another South Arabian alabaster piece is Lot 54, a libation table with six conjoined reclining ibexes projecting from one end. It is 22 1/4 inches long. It has an estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. It sold for $54,000. It is dated circa 2nd Century B.C.-2nd Century A.D.

Lot 57 is a quite large, South Arabian,alabaster,stele circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D. It is 19 1/2 inches high and has an estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $116,500.

Lot 186 is a large early Christian paten circa late 4th Century-Early 5th Century A.D. It is 9 1/2 inches in diamter. It has an ambitious estimate of $600,000 to $900,000. It failed to sell.