By Carter B. Horsley

The Antiquities auction at Christie's June 3, 2009 is highlighted by an excellent collection of Greek and Roman sculpture, and some nice Egyptian and Parthian works.

The most spectacular pieces at Lot 151, Greek Hellenistic Period terracotta statues of Zeus and Ganymede. The tallest is 14 1/4 inches and they date circa 2nd Century B.C. They have a very modest estimate of $8,000 to $10,000 and they were once in the collection of Sir William Bowmore of Australia. "Antithetically arranged, each depicting Zeus in the form of an eagle carrying the youthful Ganymede," the catalogue observes. The pair has traces of color for their skin, pink on the chlamys and weath and yellow on the eagles. It sold for $10,625 including the buyer's premium.

By this season's standards, the auction was quite successful with 77 percent of the 197 offered lots selling for a total of $3,410,125. G. Max Bernheimer said after the auction that "today's strong results show that wonderful objects with clear provenance continue to perform exceedingly well at auction. Molly Morse Limmer, the head of the sale, said that "competitive and consistent bidding came from international buyers in a packed sale room and active phones, with an additional boost on Christie's LIVE...[its on-line auction service]. Classical works of art from the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust, including Roman sculpture and Greek vases, accounted for four of the top ten prices."

Lot 184 is an excellent bronze, Roman statue of Fortuna that was formerly in The Morven Collection of Ancient Art that was auctioned at Christie's June 8, 2004 (see The City Review article). "Depicted with the wings of Victoria, wearing a high-girt chiton, the belt once inlaid, and a himation over her left shoulder and right leg, resting her right foot on a ship's rudder, its handle in her right hand, the snake of Hygeia coiled around her right arm, once holding a cornucopia in her separately made left arm, a crenellated crown in her center-parted hair, elements of the crown once inlaid, surmounted by a modius fronted with the crown of Isis, composed of a solar disk, Hathor horns, and plumes, the solar disk fronted by the crescent moon of Luna, with Artemis's quiver over her right shoulder, her eyes once inlaid," according to the catalogue. Those ladies sure knew how to dress! The bronze has a very conservative estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 171 is a small but very fine Roman marble head of a youth wearing a Phyrgian cap with up-swept deeply drilled wavy locks. It is dated circa late 1st-early 2nd Century A.D. The lot has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $35,000.

Lot 180 is an extremely impressive Roman marble portrait bust of a priest circa 2nd Century A.D. It is 16 3/4 inches high and sports a diadem with overlapping leaves. It is beautifully carved and has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It sold for $98,500.

Lot 166 is an impressive Roman marble head of a goddess or nymph from circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D. It is 10 1/4 inches high. It has an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It sold for $25,000.

Lot 191 is a 63-inch-high marble Roman statue of Diana from circa the 2nd Century A.D. It was belonged to William Waldorf Astor. It has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 173 is an impressive Roman marble head of a goddess that is 13 1/4 inches high is dated circa 1st-2nd Century A.D. More than life-size it is excellent condition except for a broken nose and is notable for her upswept wavy locks that are bound in a chignon at the back and the remains of an iron pin at the crown of he head for the attrachment of a now-missing attribute. The lot has an estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $80,500.

Lot 188 is a ferocious-looking basalt head of a lion with an open mouth that is a spout. An Eastern Roman work, it is 31 3/4 inches high and is dated circa 1st-2nd Century A.D. It has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $52,500.

Lot 36 is an impressive Canaanite copper warrior that is dated to the Middle Bronze Age IIA, circa 1900-1700 B.C. It is 9 1/4 inches high. It has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $86,500.

Lot 44 is an excellent small South Arabian alabaster female head circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D. It is 5 1/8 inches high . It has ancient gold hoop earnings and inlays for the pupils are missing. It has an estimate of $7,000 to $9,000. It sold for $16,250.

Lot 50 is a very fine Parthian silver incense burner in the form of a panther. It is 9 3/4 inches long and dates circa 1st Century B.C.-2nd Century A.D. It has a modest estimate of $5,000 to $7,000. It sold for $9,375.

Lot 51 is a another fine Parthian work, this time a bronze incense shovel. It is 11 3/4 inches long and is dated circa 2nd Century A.D. The bowlhas two ducks on its rims and the handle terminates in the forepart of a panther. It has a very modest estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. It sold for $3,500.

Lots 94, 95, 96 and 97, tau, phi and psi figures, Mycenaean, Late Helladic III, circa 1400-1200 B.C., 3 1/2 to 4 inches high. The terracotta figures came from Charles Ede of London and have estimates of $2,000 to $3,000 each. They sold for $5,000, $4,000. $3,500 and $3,000, respectively.

Lot 4 is a finely modeled Egyptian green schist bust of an official from the Middle Kingdom, Dynasty XII-XIII, 1991-1690 B.C. It failed to sell and was passed at $70,000.

Lot 21 is an Egyptian painted wood stele for Tjepen that is dated to the Late Period, Dynasty XXV-XXVI, 712-525 B.C. It is 17 7/8 inches high and has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $32,500.

Lot 28 is an Egyptian gilt and painted cartonnage ensemble in three pieces that is from the Roman period, circa 1st Century A.D. The mask portion is 15 inches high. The lot has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $25,000.

Lot 20 is a small Egyptian statue of an Ibis facing an even smaller bronze statue of Maat from the Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C. It is 6 3/4 inches long. It has an modest estimate of $8,000 to $12,000. It sold for $20,000.