Ancient Artifax | Galleries

Collecting is a passion and the people who collect are as diverse as the items they choose to acquire. It is thought that the urge to collect is an instinct that remains within us from our prehistoric, hunter-gatherer ancestors. Regardless of what drives us to collect, it is important to collect pieces you like. Enjoy your treasures and learn from them.

Please feel free to contact me if I assist you in helping start or build your collection in whatever area interests you. The items offered here may not be the rarest, least (or most) expensive in the marketplace, but be assured they are authentic and of the highest aesthetic quality. Being an artist myself, I am very selective about the items I collect and sell. I acquire only pieces with great visual appeal and are superior in overall design, form, balance and proportion.

Collecting ancient art is also a wise investment, but aside from monetary value, ancient art is a direct link to our past. Collectors are the keepers of history. I hope many of you will pass on your interest in ancient art and history to your children and grandchildren. Keeping the spirit alive and growing for generations to come.

As for my pricing, I am neither a wholesaler or retailer, but somewhere in between. I sell to dealers and private collectors alike. When pricing any item, I consider the rarity, quality, and desirability, as well as other factors. But in the end, what really determines the asking price is how much I like that particular item. My favorite pieces are always priced higher or not offered for sale at all.

I have numerous items that are not shown on this Website. If you have a particular interest and are looking for something special, just ask. Also, some of the items shown in the "restoration services" pages are available. Contact me about availability and pricing. Please feel free to email with questions or comments concerning any of the pieces on this site. Enjoy your treasure hunt...

As most serious collectors know, there are numerous fakes and reproductions being offered in today's market. Ebay is filled with listings of fake antiquities. Avoiding fakes is critical when building your collection. It is important to know and trust the dealers you buy from. Ask questions and inquire about the seller's authenticity guarantee and return policy. Also, educate yourself and learn as much as possible about your area of interest. Read books, go to museums and attend reputable antiquities shows. Also, there is valuable information available on-line. I recommend collectors join the "Ancient Artifacts Discussion Group" on Yahoo. It's free to join and there you will find current listings of reputable dealers as well as known sellers of fake antiquities. There are also many knowledgeable and friendly experts willing to help answer your questions and guide you in making wise decisions.

Here's the link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ancientartifacts

Best of luck and happy hunting.

Below is a selection of low-cost authentic artifacts from around the world. Perfect for budget or beginner collectors. Make great gifts too. Nothing over $100!

SPECIAL!
Jump-start your collection and receive an additional discount. Choose any 5 or more bargain items and get an additional 10% off!

Cajamarca Pitcher — Peru

200 AD - 800 AD

A nice Cajamarca miniature vessel from Northern Peru. In the form of a small pticher with loop handle. Well painted in red and black geometric patterns over a cream base color. In good condition. Handle and rim partially restored, otherwise intact with deposits inside and out.

Approx. 3" across x 3" tall

$95

Teotihuacan Miniatures — Mexico

200 AD - 400 AD

Two small pottery items from Teotihuacan in Central Mexico. Both are mold-made and in near excellent condition. The maskette is of typical style, molded face with incising on the forehead and pierced ear spools. Intact, but has minor chipping and glue residue on the back. The small standing figure has a reattached head, but is complete and has yellow pigment remaining in the crevices.

Both approx. 1.75" tall

$85 each or $150 for both

Moche Shell Figure — Peru

400 AD - 800 AD

An interesting Moche figure carved from shell. In very good condition with moderate deposits from burial. Somewhat eroded, but still shows nice details. Will not stand upright on its own. A rare artifact.

Approx. 1.5" tall

$95

Indus Valley Olla — Pakistan

3000 BC - 2500 BC

Bronze Age terracotta bowl from the Nal culture, Indus Valley of Baluchistan, in what is now modern day Pakistan. Rounded olla-form vessel with black linear decoration on buff terracotta. This pattern is categorized as the "checkerboard and comb" motif. Condition is fair to good. Several glued and stabilized stress cracks and a small repair at the rim. Some minor paint loss, areas of earthen deposits, a few scrapes and dings consistent with age.

Approx. 4" across x 2.85" tall

SOLD

Indus Valley Polychrome Vessel — Pakistan

3000 BC - 2500 BC

Bronze Age terracotta bowl from the Nal culture, Indus Valley of Baluchistan, in what is now modern day Pakistan. A rare polychrome painted vessel with small footed base and straight sides. Polychrome Indus Valley pottery has only been found at one site called Mehrgarh located approx. 100 km to the north of Khuzdar. These vessels were painted with black outlines before firing and afterwards cold-painted (post firing) with yellow, green, red and sometimes white and blue pigments. Condition is fairly good. A small (1" long) stabilized stress crack at the rim and moderate paint loss. Areas of earthen deposits, a few scrapes and dings consistent with age.

Approx. 3.75" across x 2.5" tall

$95

Wari Vessel — Peru

700 AD - 1000 AD

Polychrome painted Wari (Huari) bottle-form vessel. Rounded body with tall tapered neck and strap handle. Orange base color with black and white linear decoration painted in a simple alternating stripe pattern. Traces of red pigment also remaining, mostly under the handle. Condition is fair to good. Assembled from three large original pieces with restored breaks. Small spout repair and light paint touch ups. Moderate surface wear and paint loss, but appears near choice and displays nicely.

Just over 6" tall

$95

Ban Chiang Incised Vessel — Thailand

1000 BC - 250 BC

Small Ban Chiang pottery vessel from northern Thailand's Udon Thani Province, dating to the late period. Footed base and angular body with flared rim. Nicely incised with linear designs on the upper shoulder. Moderate deposits and encrustations. Overall in near excellent condition. Intact with only minor rim chips missing. No breaks, cracks or repairs. An attractive example that displays well.

Just under 5" x 5"

$95

Roman Oil Lamp

300 AD - 400 AD

Small Roman oil lamp with rare green-brown glazed surface. An unusual example in near perfect condition. The handle is reattached, otherwise intact. Minor surface erosion and a few dings. Light mineral deposits. Nice piece.

Approx. 3.5" across x 2" tall

SOLD

Iron Age bowl — Israel

1100 BC

Small Iron Age I cooking pot of Trans-Jordan origin. Lovely form with a graceful inverted rim. The exterior has delicate horizontal incised ribs. Flat bottom. Overall condition is quite good. Several repaired rim chips and small stress cracks in the bottom, but generally intact and near choice. Nice mineral deposits and encrustations as would be expected. Displays well. Please refer to the restoration services "cracks & chips" page of this site to see before & after photos of the repairs on this item.

Approx. 4.5" across x 2.5" tall

$95

Tiahuanacan Olla — Bolivia

600 AD - 1000 AD

Small Tiwanaku olla from the Bolivian highlands. Nicely formed, six-lobed body and flared rim with two handles on either side. Orange-red in color with black lines and dots in a geometric pattern. Overall in near choice condition with only one rim shard restored. Light deposits and mineralization. Ex. Barney Mallonee Collection.

Approx. 2.5" tall x 3" across

$95

3 Nayarit Miniature Vessels — Nayarit, West Mexico

200 BC - 200 AD

A trio of olla-form miniature vessels from West Mexico. These were all collected in San Luis de Lozada, Nayarit in 1962 by Kenneth Burlingham. All are fine examples and in generally good condition. See individual descriptions.

"A" - A small ribbed pumpkin vessel. Nice redware surface with some erosion. Minor restoration to the body and rim. 3" x 3.5" - $95

"B" - Buff terracotta olla with painted geometric designs. Intact with minor rim chips and light paint touch-ups. 3" x 3" - $95

"C" - Orangeware olla with a simple white painted design. Intact with a small stress crack and considerable deposits - 2.75" x 2.5" - $50.

Jalisco Olla — West Mexico

100 BC - 250 AD

Small olla-form vessel from West Mexico. A common type seen throughout Western Mexico, the surface color and texture indicates this example is most likely from Jalisco. Plain undecorated exterior in a rich chocolate brown color with some reddish tones. Overall in very good condition with no repairs. Two hairline stress cracks, one on the bottom and another at the rim, but basically intact and stable. Moderate deposits. Nice form and an elegant shape.

Approx. 4.5" across x 3.5" tall.

SOLD

Chimu Miniature Vessel — Peru

1100 AD - 1450 AD

Rare Chimu miniature terracotta "rain dance" vessel. Canteen form with slightly flared spout and two perforated lug handles. The central panel shows a standing shaman wearing a plumed headdress, a spear (or staff) in one hand, a tumi knife in the other. The figure is surrounded by rain drops. The scene, which is more common on larger blackware vessels, is a representation of a rain ceremony. The back of the vessel is undecorated. Overall in good condition. Assembled from a half dozen pieces and two areas of restored losses. Repaired areas are confined mostly to the back. Some fire-clouding and mineral deposits present. This miniature vessel is nicely detailed and unusual for its size. Displays well. Ex. California collection.

Approx. 4" tall x 3" across

$95

Teotihuacan Incensario — Valley of Mexico

400 AD - 650 AD

Teotihuacan incensario (candelero) with impressed designs. Typical hand-held type, but more crudely made than most. These small portable "lamps" were used to hold burning Copal resin incense. Common form, two deep recesses to hold the incense. Buff terracotta with burnished top. In fine condition. See page 267 of Berrin & Pasztory's "Art from the City of the Gods" for other examples.

Approx. 1.75" tall x 2.5" across

$95

Costa Rican Basket — Costa Rica

100 BC - 500 AD

Rare miniature pottery basket-form vessel from the Atlantic Watershed region of Costa Rica. Globular round-bottomed body with a thick handle arching from the inverted rim. Buff terracotta with red handle and rim. The bottom is burnished orange. Stylized faces at the base of each handle and around the body. In very good, near excellent condition. Only minor repairs to the handle, but all original. Some fire-clouding. A nice example of the type "El Bosque", known for its red on buff ceramics with impressed and/or appliqued decoration. Cute piece. Appears choice.

Note: See page 215 of Sackler's "Art of Costa Rica" for a similar example.

Approx. 4" tall x 3" across

$95

Costa Rican Vessel — Costa Rica

100 BC - 500 AD

Small terracotta vessel from the Atlantic Watershed region of Costa Rica. Rows of raised nodes decorate the upper portion along with two pierced handles. Orange/tan in color with a red stripe painted around the middle and at the neck. In excellent condition. One tiny repair at the rim and a few chipped nodes, otherwise nearly perfect. Nice (and rare) example of the type "El Bosque", known for its red on buff ceramics with impressed and/or appliqued decoration.

Note: See Sackler's "Art of Costa Rica" for additional information.

Approx. 3.5" tall x 4" across

SOLD

Tiahuanaco Shallow Bowl — Lake Titikaka area, Bolivia

400 AD - 600 AD

Tihuanaco "beer cup" painted inside in red and white with two opposing faces. One stable crack and several chips missing from the rim and some paint loss. Exterior shows heavy deposits and chips missing from the footed base. A good example with no repairs or restoration.

Approx. 6" across x 3" tall

$95

Lobed Copper Bell — Peru

400 AD - 1200 AD

Three lobed copper Peruvian bell. Heavy patina and encrusted with some damage and minor losses. Two lobes retain their clackers, the other partially crushed. Somewhat fragile, but nice example.

Approx. 1" across

$40

Ewe Clay Fetish — Togo, Africa

20th Century, possibly earlier

Very unusual Ewe terracotta fetish. An interesting item of unknow purpose. It surely had some ceremonial use, but clay items such as this are so rare that it is difficult to determine its specific purpose. It might have been a lid to a larger divination or fetish bowl. It has a "handle" in the form of a stylized animal. At each side of the handle are two small vessels. Around the base are a ring of thick loops. Overall in good condition with a few breaks and losses as is common with old African terracottas. One vessel has been reattached and one of the loops is missing. Other minor chips and dings, but generally intact. Considerable staining and encrustations. It shows obvious signs of age and tribal use, but in my research I have not found anything remotely similar. If anyone cares to venture a guess, I'd be interested in knowing more about it. An intriquing artifact to say the least.

The breaks and losses could easily be restored, but I believe the minor flaws add to its character and visual appeal. Displays nicely as is.

Approx. 6" tall x 7.5" across

$75

Baule Mask — Cote D'Ivoire

20th Century

An interesting wooden Baule mask. The face is shows a pleasant, serene expression and almond-shaped eyes. A nicely detailed crocodile runs downward through the mask. The Baule are part of the Akan group of the Ivory Coast. The Baule are related to the Guro and Yaure, and there is a resemblance in their masks. The details of this mask suggests stylistic links to other Cote d'Ivoire groups like the Guro and Yaure. In good condition, only minor wear with a small area carved through making a hole under one eye. There are no signs this mask has been tribally danced. Possibly a tourist piece, but displays well.

Just over 24" tall x 7.5" across

SOLD

Decorated Pottery Bowl — Sudan

20th Century

Nice brown terracotta bowl with impressed designs. Excellent condition.

Just over 6" x 6"

$40

Military Merit Badges — Zaire

Mid-20th Century

An interesting collection of 3 merit badge pendants issued in the 1960's by the military of Zaire for various achievments. Two are in silver, one is bronze, each with French text. Rare & unusual items, nicley cast and in fine wearable condition with slightly tarnished patina.

Each is approx. 2" tall including suspension ring.

$40 for the set of 3

Neolithic Tripod Vessel — China

3000 BC - 2000 BC

Small blackware tripod vessel from China's early Neolithic period. Undecorated surface, typical of the type. In excellent condition with no cracks, breaks or repairs. Never cleaned, moderate deposits on the exterior. The interior is encrusted with dirt and still has roots embedded, a rare feature. Overall a great example.

Approx. 4.25" x 3.5"

SOLD

Ban Chiang Bowl — Thailand

1000 BC - 250 BC

A late period Ban Chiang olla-form pottery bowl from northern Thailand's Udon Thani Province. Squat round body with slightly flaring rim. Nice corrugated surface with moderate encrustation. Overall in excellent condition, intact with no repairs. An attractive piece that displays well.

Approx. 4" x 2.5"

SOLD

Nal Bowl — Pakistan

3000 BC - 2500 BC

Bronze Age terracotta bowl from the Nal culture, Indus Valley of Baluchistan, in what is now modern day Pakistan. Ring-base vessel, very thin-walled with flat sides, decorated in horizontal stripes with a double band of zig-zag lines around the middle, executed in black over cream slip. Light encrustations and mineral deposits. Paint is somewhat faded, but still quite visible. There is also evidence of interior painting (a rare feature), but it mostly faded and barely visible. Broken and repaired from six to eight original pieces with restoration over the cracks and minor paint touch-ups. Displays well. Ex. private Florida collection

Approx. 4.5" across x 3" tall

SOLD

Bronze Islamic Oil Lamp — Iran, Iraq, Western Afghanistan

1700 AD - 1800 AD

A fine antique bronze oil lamp dating to the 18th to 19th century. Rather small, but nicely decorated with finely detailed Islamic designs typical of the period. Intact & all original. Complete with lid, chain and hooked rod for carrying/hanging. Heavily cast. Beautiful patina with dark brown surface and considerable green incrustations. Certianly not ancient, but old and a nice example. Pretty.

Lamp is 2" tall from the base to the top of the lid.
Just over 7.5" tall overall, including suspension rod.

SOLD

Below is a list of auction catalogs. These don't really pertain to ancient art, but were in a large box lot of catalogs I acquired years ago. All are in very good to excellent condition and some have prices realized lists. Please email me for additional info or photos. Prices of catalogs in this group are as follows:
$7.00 each for individual catalogs (plus shipping)
$6.00 each for 10 or more catalogs (plus shipping)

Sotheby's New York, May 1988, Latin American Art
Sotheby's New York, May 1989, Latin American Art
Sotheby's New York, May 1990, Latin American Art
Sotheby's New York, Nov. 1990, Latin American Art

Christie's New York, May 1989, Latin American Paintings, Drawing & Sculpture
Christie's New York, Nov. 1989, Latin American Paintings, Drawing & Sculpture
Christie's New York, May 1990, Latin American Paintings, Drawing & Sculpture
Christie's New York, Nov. 1990, Latin American Paintings, Drawing & Sculpture
Christie's New York, May 1991, Latin American Paintings, Drawing & Sculpture

Christie's New York, Nov. 1990, Impressionist & Modern Paintings & Sculpture - Part 1
Christie's New York, Nov. 1990, Contemporary Art
Christie's New York, May 1992, 19th Century European Paintings, Drawings & Watercolors
Christie's New York, Jan. 1990, Antique & Fine Jewelry
Christie's on the Premises, Sept. 1992, Collection of Lillian Blankley Cogan of Farmington, Conn.

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