By Carter B. Horsley

The Antiquities auction at Sotheby's June 5, 2008 is highlighted by a great Late Hellenistic or Early Roman Imperial bronze figure of a goddess, a lovely Hellenistic silver figure of Apollo, an Early Bronze Age I Cycladic marble figure of a man, some very good Roman marble busts, and several fine Egyptian works of art.

The cover illustration of the catalogue is Lot 28, the Late Hellenistic or Early Roman Imperial bronze figure of a goddess, circa 1st Century B.C./1st Century A.D. The very graceful and elegant bronze is 20 3/4 inches high and probably depicts Tyche. The work was acquired by Christos G. Bastis in 1982 from the Merrin Gallery in New York and sold at Sotheby's in New York December 9, 1999 for $321,500 including the buyer's premium when it had an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. The goddess is in excellent condition except for missing arms. It was on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1982 to 1990. It has an estimate in this auction of $500,000 to $800,000. The catalogue notes that the piece was once owned by Claude Anet (1868-1931), the penname for Jean Schoepfer. Mr. Anet was the author of Mayerling. It sold for $602,500 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.

The sale was very successful with 115 of the 124 offered lots selling for $8,933,001, significantly exceeding the sale's pre-sale high estimate, without premiums, of $6,200,000. Richard Keresy and Florent Heintz of the Antiquities department, said after the sale that "we saw incredible demand across all sectors," adding that "more than 75 percent went over their high estimates," a quite incredible result.

Lot 22 is a Hellenistic silver statuette of Apollo, circa Late 2nd/early 1st Century B.C. The catalogue notes that the 4-inch-high statue is "probably a portrait of a Hellenistic prince in the guise of the god, perhaps Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus, or his son Ariarthes IX Eusebes Philopator of Cappadocia," adding that his extended right hand holds a bow and his left hand holds a drinking horn. There is considerable encrustation along the right arm but the figure has great grace. The lot was offered at Sotheby's December 9, 2001 with an estimate of $90,000 to $120,000 and failed to sell. At this auction it has a modest estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It was at one time with Robin Symes Ltd., in London and included in an 1999 exhibition at his New York gallery. It sold for $74,500.

Another exquisite work from about the same period is Lot 38, a small chalcedony portrait head of a deified queen or empress. The catalogue dates it as Hellenistic/Early Roman Imperial, circa 2nd Century B.C./1st Century A.D., and states that there is a closely related example in the Getty Museum. This lot, which is only 1 15/16 inches high, has an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. It sold for $962,500.

A larger but still quite small head of an old woman in marble is remarkably dynamic in its expressiveness. Dating to the Roman Imperial Period circa 1st Century A.D., it is 4 1/2 inches high and at one time was in the collection of Dr. Herman Vollmer of New York who had acquired it in Rome before 1940. The work has been widely published and has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $92,500.

Lot 39 is a very handsome marble portrait of a woman that is Roman, Late Republican/Early Augustan, 2nd half of the 1st Century, B.C. It is 9 3/4 inches high and has a modest estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It is finely sculpted with a very expressive face. It sold for $374,500.

Lot 32 is a very impressive marble head of Serapis Ammon, Roman Imperial, circa 2nd half of the 2nd Century, A.D. It is 13 1/4 inches high and is based ona Hellenistic protreaype of the 2nd Century B.C. There is a related head in the Cairo Museum. The lot was once in the collection of Georges and Ludmilla Anghelopoulo of Beirut, Paris, and Kitzbuhel who had acquired it prior to 1948 from Elie Boustros of Beirut. It has a modest estimate of $50,000 to $80,000. It sold for $182,500.

Lot 16 is a very nice, headless and armless marble figure of Aphrodite that is dated Hellenistic, circa 2nd/1st Century B.C. It is 17 3/16 inches high. It has a modest estimate of $8,000 to $12,000. It sold for $68,500.

Lot 13 is an 11 1/2-inch-high marble figure of a man, Cycladic, Early Bronze Age I, circa 3200-2700 B.C. It has an estimate of $1,200,000 to $1,800,000. It sold for $1,314,500.

Lot 49 is a very fine Egyptian wood ushabti of Rameses IX, 20 th Dynasty, 1131-1112 B.C. It is 12 1/8 inches high and has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $542,500.

Lot 50 is a very fine bronze statue of Neith, 26th Dynasty, probably reign of Psamtik I, 664-610 B.C. It is 12 1/2 inches high and has a conservative estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $218,500.

Lot 57 is a very imposting Egyptian bust of a man, 26th Dynasty/Early Ptolemaic Period, 664-300 B.C. Made of either diorite or basalt, it is 12 1/4 inches high. It has a conservative estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $422,500.

Lot 56 is an exquisite Egyptian bronze bust of a queen or goddess, Ptolemaic Period, 305-30 B.C. It is 13 1/2 inches high and has a modest estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $1,082,500. Although there is damage to the left cheek and left breast, the work is otherwise in exceptional condition with great carving.

Lot 61 is a good Egyptian schist figure of a baboon, 26th/30th Dynasty, 664-342 B.C. The finely carved figure is in excellent condition and is 6 1/4 inches high. Ithas a modest estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. It sold for $62,500.

Lot 108 is a nice group of Egyptian beads, amulets and scarabs from the Late Period. It has a modest estimate of $2,500 to $3,500. It sold for $7,500.