By Carter B. Horsley

This Antiquities auction at Christie's June 8, 2007 is highlighted by many fine Roman sculptures, a lovely Greek statue of a dancer, a fabulous Bactrian silver ibex, some good Egyptian sculptures and a small but fine Sumerian figure.

Lot 70 is the stunning Bactrian silver ibex. Dated to about the 1st Century B.C., it is 7 5/8 inches high and very impressive. The catalogue notes that it compares with a smaller gold ibex that was found in Burial 4 at Tilyatepe in northern Afghanistan and it also noted that "some of the objects from the necropolis were considerably earlier in date..., so it is possible that our ibex...is earlier than the date suggested."

The lot has a very conservative estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $114,000 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.

Of the 197 lots offered in the sale, 82 percent sold for a total of $7,963,160. After the sale, G. Max Bernheimer, International Head of Christie's Antiquities Department, said that the "results soared far above our most optimisic expectations and exceeded its pre-sale estimate by nearly 20 percent." "Bidding," he continued, "was intense and very competitive and came from all four corners of the globe."

Lot 129 is a very impressive Hellenistic Greek bronze statue of a dancer that is 9 3/4 inches high. It is dated circa 2nd-1st Century B.C. It is solid cast and, the catalogue notes, "the lissome adolescant female with elongated torso and legs, nude, except for a band-like perizoma covering her buttocks, her pudendum bare. The dancer is standing on her toes with her heels raised and her left hand is lowered playing drotola (castanets), one preserved."

"Among the striking characteristics of this sensual bronze is the depiction of a female dancer in such a risqué costume," the entry continued.

The lot has an estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $144,000.

Lot 150 is a striking Roman bronze head of a man, circa 1st Century-1st Century A.D. It is 12 inches high. It has an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It sold for $992,000.

Lot 174 is a very nice Roman marble statue of Mercury, circa 1st-2nd Century A.D. It is 24 3/8 inches high. It has a modest estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $132,000.

Lot 185 is a very large and impressive Roman marble mosaic panel, circa 3rd Century, A.D. It is 185 1/4 inches long and is the border from one side of a large floor. It has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 168 is a very fine Roman marble portrait bust of a priest. Dated circa early 2nd Century, A.D., it is 16 3/4 inches high. It has an estimate of $120,000 to $180,000. It sold for $144,000.

Lot 186 is a superb Roman marble portrait of a girl, circa late 2nd-early 3rd Century A.D. It is 13 1/2 inches high. It has an estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 170 is a fine Roman marble portrait head of Julia Titi, circa late 1st Century A.D. It is 10 1/2 inches high. Julia Titi was the daughter of Emperor Titus and the mistress of Emperor Domitian. It has a modest estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $84,000.

Lot 177 is a fine Roman bronze figure of Hygeia, circa 2nd Century A.D. It is 7 1/4 inches high. It has a conservative estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 123 is a fine Greek terracotta head of a god or athlete, Hellenistic period, circa 2nd-1st Century B.C. It is 5 1/4 inches high. It has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $90,000.

Lot 127 is a lovely Greek marble head of a goddess, late Hellenistic period, circa 1st Century B.C. It is 5 3/4 inches high. It has a conservative estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $15,600.

Lot 33 is an excellent Egyptian bronze statue of a horus falcon, Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-20 B.C. It is 10 3/8 inches high and was formerly in the collections of C. Dikran Kelekian and the estate of Evelyn Annenberg Hall. It has a modest estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $132,000.

Lot 37 is a very large and impressive Egyptian wood and bronze ibis, Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C. It is 12 5/8 inches high. It has a modest estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $144,000.

Lot 45 is a fine small alabaster statue of a female worshipper that is Mesopotamian, Syrian, Early Dynastic III, circa 2550-2250 B.C. It is 3 3/8 inches high and was once in the collection of Dr. Elie Borowski. It has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $33,600.

Lot 46 is an adorable lapis lazuli amulet of a calf that is Mesopotamia, late Uruk/Jemdet Nasr, circa 3100-2900 B.C. It is 1 5/8 inches long and has a modest estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. It sold for $42,000.

Another jewel is Lot 35, an Egyptian amethyst cat amulet that is Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 B.C. It is one inch high and has an estimate of $5,000 to $7,000. It sold for $38,400.

Lot 8 is a 31 3/4-inch-high Egyptian wood figure of a man, Old Kingdom, Dynasty VI, 2323-2150 B.C. It has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $336,000.

Lot 74 is a South Arabian female figure, circa 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D., that is 18 7/8 inches high. It has an estimate of $120,000 to $180,000. It sold for $576,000.