Auction Alert: Ancient Art & Antiquities

Here at H is for Home, we’re probably best known for selling and writing about mid century modern items. However, we also love antiques and ancient art & antiquities.

This week’s Auction Alert subject is selling a high quality selection of pre-historic, post-classical, Roman and other civilisation relics. There are so many good things, we found it difficult to narrow down lots to highlight here. From a bronze helmet for a baby, to a beautiful rock crystal necklace from the Roman era. From magical Islamic amulets to ancient Greek body armour – many of the items are rare and unique.

They’re all for sale at the upcoming Plakas Auctions‘ Ancient Art & Antiquities sale; 153 lots coming under the hammer on Wednesday 27^th July 2022 from 1pm.

Their buyer’s premium is currently set at 25%. You can bid live or leave absentee bids on Plakas LIVE or via their app (with no extra fee on top of the premium).

You may also bid online at EasyLiveAuction – (an additional £3.00 flat fee on registration or 3% commission on the final hammer price) or Invaluable – (please check the commission rate on their website).

Plakas Post Sale Service team can arrange professional delivery and convenient shipping of your purchased items. We offer competitive rates shipping a small pendant to as large as a piece of furniture. We are well informed on all international regulations, Plakas offers a full range of services for our clients, this includes collection, packaging and arranging shipping worldwide.

Lot 29: PROTO ELAMITE COPPER CLOAK OR HAIR PIN, 2^ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
With a floral pattern. Height: 18.5cm
Estimate: £300 – £500

Lot 35: A GRECO PERSIAN PERIOD BRONZE LADLE WITH A GOAT HEAD, 400-300 B.C.
Height: 35cm
Estimate: £400 – £600

Lot 40: A RARE GREEK MUSCLE BRONZE CUIRASS BODY ARMOR PROBABLY 5^TH/4^TH CENTURY B.C.
Height: 50cm
Estimate: £10,000 – £15,000

Lot 47: AN EASTERN ROMAN DOUBLE HEADED BRONZE CHALICE, CIRCA 3^RD-4^TH CENTURY A.D.
Height: 13.5cm. Diameter: 7.8cm
Estimate: £7,000 – £9,000

Lot 48: A VERY RARE ACADEMIC ELAMITE BRONZE BABY HELMET, CIRCA 3^RD MILLENNIUM B.C.
Diameter: 14.5. Height: 9cm
Estimate: £1,500 – £2,000

Lot 56: A PAIR OF ANCIENT GOLD EARRINGS, WESTERN GREECE 1^ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
Diameter of each earring: 4.5cm
Estimate: £600 – £800

Lot 59: AN ANATOLIAN MARBLE FEMALE IDOL KILIA TYPE, CIRCA 4500-3500 B.C.
Height: 11cm
Estimate: £20,000 – £30,000

Lot 64: A MONUMENTAL GHANDARA STANDING BUDDHA SCHIST FIGURE WITH HALO, CIRCA 3^RD-4^TH CENTURY
Height: 89cm
Width: 27.5cm
Estimate: £7,000 – £9,000

Lot 69: TWO SILVER MAGICAL ISLAMIC AMULETS
Amulet 1 width: 2.5cm. Amulet 2 width: 3cm
Estimate: £150 – £250

Lot 71: THREE QAJAR INLAID COMBS, 19^TH CENTURY
Largest: length: 13.5cm, width: 11.5cm
Estimate: £600 – £800

Lot 79: A GOLD PENDANT WITH A DEPICTION OF CHRIST WITH A LATIN INSCRIPTION “ICXC” BYZANTINE PERIOD
Inscribed in latin “JESUS CHRIST”. Reverse is the standing figure of two angels inscribed. Byzantine period, a relic from a cross. Weight: 25grams. 4.5cm x 3.5cm
Estimate: £4,000 – £6,000

Lot 90: AN AMETHYST SEATED GOAT AMULET IN THE STYLE OF PTOLEMAIC PERIOD
Height: 2cm. Length: 3cm
Estimate: £300 – £500

Lot 92: AN EGYPTIAN WHITE GLAZED HIPPOPOTAMUS, NEW KINGDOM PERIOD 1400 B.C.
Length: 8cm. Height: 5cm
Estimate: £2,000 – £3,000

Lot 99: A SET OF SOFT STONE MEDIEVAL GAMING PIECES, CIRCA 10^TH-12^TH CENTURY
16 pieces in total. Height approx of each: 4cm
Estimate: £400 – £600

Lot 136: A CUT ROCK CRYSTAL NECKLACE ROMAN OR PARTHIAN PERIOD
Inner diameter: 23cm
Estimate: £500 – £700

Lot 144: A LARGE CHINESE CHERRY AMBER FOO DOG FIGURE
Weight: 65g
Estimate: £120 – £160

Designer Desire: Mark Rickard

Each Sunday, local antique dealer, Alistair Dryburgh of West Wales Antiques runs a (nearly always) weekly fair over on his Instagram feed. A couple of weeks ago, he had up for sale a trio of HUGE paintings by Mark Rickard.

They’d originally been commissioned in 1976 for a local club in Aberystwyth and represent Welsh rural life.

I instantly fell in love and proceeded to Google him to see if I could find any other artworks that he’d done. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a single artwork or any information about the artist himself… absolutely nothing at all!

His style reminds me of Joseph Herman and Stanley Spencer, especially the latter’s Clyde shipbuilding series.

I’ve messaged Alistair in the past few minutes and he’s said that the top two paintings – the tug-of-war and the sheep and cows – are still available, if you’re interested.

Tragically, we don’t have a wall big enough in our old cottage to hang one – not to mention multiple – paintings of this size… otherwise I’d have to own them.

If anyone out there can shed any light on Mark Rickard we’d love to learn more about him. An artist this talented must have produced more masterpieces… and hopefully smaller examples that could fit on our walls!

Designer Desire: Richard Shimell

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This week, I saw a tree linocut print created by Richard Shimell which I loved so much I went in search of more of his work.

We have an absolutely huge sycamore tree in our front garden that we take pleasure in observing on an almost daily basis. We see the way it ebbs and flows with the seasons – its bare-branched silhouette in the winter; the array of birds and insects that use it for food, nesting and shelter in the spring; the auburn leaves and whirligigs carpeting the ground beneath in the autumn. His studies remind me of this reassuring, annual cycle; the trees are the stars of the show!

Here he is giving a little insight into his practice:

I started printmaking late in life. After a career in journalism, I joined the Dartington Print Workshop as a complete beginner in 2010. It was a steep learning curve, but I stuck at it and eventually started selling my prints. I became a member of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen in 2016.
I live in a wooded landscape on the edge of Dartmoor, so am lucky enough to be surrounded by trees. I have a small studio at home with my own Hawthorn press.
I’m drawn to the simplicity of silhouettes and the complexity of branches. I enjoy all stages of the making process, from drawing to carving to printing.
I also make books, using my prints on the covers and enjoy experimenting with other forms of printmaking, including drypoint, collagraph and etching on lino.

You can purchase his works on his own website and select galleries in Devon, Cornwall, North Yorkshire, Norfolk, The Lake District and others.

5 tips to make your artist studio more productive

Having a home studio provides flexibility like no other place. But, to get the most out of it, you need to make wise decisions with the resources you have. And, no matter how much space you have, there are always small things that you can do to make your artist studio more productive. So, here are some valuable tips to help you make the most of your space and get more done.

Make your workspace the focus

One of the first things you must do is make your workspace as clear as possible. This is the focus of your studio: whether it’s an easel, pottery wheel, kiln or drawing board, keeping this area your focus will ensure you set to work quickly.

For best working conditions, keep this area clear. Each night, after you finish working for the day, clear up what you can. This way, you’ll enter into a clean studio each day, fresh for new ideas.

Stand up your desk

Many people who work in an office use a standing desk. Standing desks have been shown to have many physical benefits like decreased risk of obesity and diabetes and improved mental clarity and mood. But there’s another benefit to getting off your butt – standing up increases the blood flow to your legs, which will help you focus better when you sit back down.

Using a standing desk can make you feel more proactive and increase your ability to work.

Have spaces to think

Thinking over your work is an essential part of any art process. Building space into your studio specifically for thinking, brainstorming, and planning will help you to develop projects better. Get a comfy chair (some feel good massage chairs if you really want to relax your brain!) and leave some paper and pens around in case you need to write anything down.

Add lighting to highlight your workspace

Light is essential to all artwork. Getting bright lights to ensure you can see your work at all times is key. Think about where is best to place your lighting. Consider where shadows will fall: where would benefit from brightness, and where would benefit from darkness.

Natural light inspires productivity, so if you can access a big window, place your workspace near it.

Utilise storage and have an organisational system

As with any space, it’s important to utilise storage and an organisational system. You have the opportunity to be creative and use the area in various ways. But if you don’t have a plan beforehand, you may end up with chaos.

One way to create storage is by installing shelves on the walls. This allows you to make use of the vertical space, which is often overlooked but can be utilised in many ways. This will help de-clutter your floor space and allow for more room to work. If you have lots of supplies, this is a cost-effective way to minimise clutter and maximise your workspace.

Another tip is having an organisational system that works for you, your specific needs and your level of efficiency. This can be anything from how you organise your desk or how you store materials for projects at hand.

Using bins can help keep things more organised and help you quickly find what you are looking for. You might want to use different methods depending on the type of project or client you are working with and what stage it is in (i.e., idea stage versus final product).

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H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: art