Copper-alloy, 440 grams; 12 cm high. Circa 2nd millenium BC. A beaten metal cylindrical bucket with slightly turned rim and shallow domed base. The two cast bucket handle mounts shaped as 'ankhs' with three rivets and a loop each. The curved one-piece handle tapering to wire diamater at each end and multi-turned to secure to the mounts. Reference: see P. Moorey Ancient Bronzes from Luristan, p. 37 for discussion. Generally very fine condition with slight distortion to the bucket body.

Carnelian, 13.03 grams, 40 cm, 16 inches. Indus Valley Culture; Bronze Age, circa 2600 - 1600 BC. A re-strung carnelian necklace, which has 57 various shaped ancient carnelian beads, etched with geometric designs. The technique of painting the surface of a finished carnelian bead with natron [calcium carbonate] and then baking the mineral on appears to have been invented around 2500 BC by Indus Valley craftesman, possibly to imitate banded agates. This technique was also adopted by the Mesopotamians and later by the Persians. Etched beads may well have been traded from the Indus Valley to Sumer as early as 2500 BC. Reference: Thames & Hudson, The History of Beads from 30,000 BC to the Present, page 181-2; No. 600, a-c. Extremely fine condition and wearable. Provenance: from an old English collection; found Indus Valley, Pakistan.

Bronze, 29.53 grams, 40 cm long [16 inches]. Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian, circa 550 - 330 BCE. These beads were made by the Persians, people of the Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian period, the successor state of the Median Empire. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. In western history this empire was the foe of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian Wars, and was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. This necklace has been restrung and fitted with a modern clasp to wear in modern times using over 100 mainly square and cylindrical-shaped beads with a great variety of colour patination. Reference: Thames & Hudson, The History of Beads from 30,000 BC to the Present, no. 309 a-e. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Bronze, 30.43 grams, 40 cm long [16 inches]. Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian, circa 550 - 330 BCE. These beads were made by the Persians, people of the Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian period, the successor state of the Median Empire. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. In western history this empire was the foe of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian Wars, and was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. This necklace has been restrung and fitted with a modern clasp to wear in modern times using over 100 mainly square and cylindrical-shaped beads with a great variety of colour patination. Reference: Thames & Hudson, The History of Beads from 30,000 BC to the Present, no. 309 a-e. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Bronze, 31.96 grams, 40 cm long [16 inches]. Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian, circa 550 - 330 BCE. These beads were made by the Persians, people of the Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian period, the successor state of the Median Empire. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. In western history this empire was the foe of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian Wars, and was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. This necklace has been restrung and fitted with a modern clasp to wear in modern times using over 100 mainly square and cylindrical-shaped beads with a great variety of colour patination. Reference: Thames & Hudson, The History of Beads from 30,000 BC to the Present, no. 309 a-e. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Bronze, 38.21 grams, 40 cm long [16 inches]. Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian, circa 550 - 330 BCE. These beads were made by the Persians, people of the Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian period, the successor state of the Median Empire. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. In western history this empire was the foe of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian Wars, and was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. This necklace has been restrung and fitted with a modern clasp to wear in modern times using over 100 mainly square and cylindrical-shaped beads with a great variety of colour patination. Reference: Thames & Hudson, The History of Beads from 30,000 BC to the Present, no. 309 a-e. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Bronze, 28.00 grams, 40 cm long [16 inches]. Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian, circa 550 - 330 BCE. These beads were made by the Persians, people of the Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian period, the successor state of the Median Empire. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. In western history this empire was the foe of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian Wars, and was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. This necklace has been restrung and fitted with a modern clasp to wear in modern times using over 100 mainly square and cylindrical-shaped beads with a great variety of colour patination. Reference: Thames & Hudson, The History of Beads from 30,000 BC to the Present, no. 309 a-e. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Bronze, 34.93 grams, 37.50 mm long [15 inches]. Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian, circa 550 - 330 BCE. These beads were made by the Persians, people of the Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian period, the successor state of the Median Empire. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. In western history this empire was the foe of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian Wars, and was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. This necklace has been restrung and fitted with a modern clasp to wear in modern times using over 100 mainly square and cylindrical-shaped beads with a great variety of colour patination. Reference: Thames & Hudson, The History of Beads from 30,000 BC to the Present, no. 309 a-e. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Bronze, 29.63 grams, 40 mm long [16 inches]. Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian, circa 550 - 330 BCE. These beads were made by the Persians, people of the Pre-Achaemenid-Parthian period, the successor state of the Median Empire. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. In western history this empire was the foe of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian Wars, and was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. This necklace has been restrung and fitted with a modern clasp to wear in modern times using over 100 mainly square and cylindrical-shaped beads with a great variety of colour patination. Reference: Thames & Hudson, The History of Beads from 30,000 BC to the Present, no. 309 a-e. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Copper-alloy, 14.58 grams, 35.01 mm. 4th century BC to 3rd century AD. A beautifully modelled openwork mount in the form of two opposed beasts, touching at the muzzle, lower jaw, forepaw, hindleg and haunch. The beasts are exceuted in the characteristic Scythian style with tightly curled snouts, legs and tails. On the reverse is the loop used to secure leather or fabric straps, possibly part of a horse-harness; the Scythians were renowned horsemen and dominated eastern Europe and southern Asia for many centuries. Scythian art influenced the culture of classical Greece, which in turn inspired later Roman art. Reference: for Scythian art see Vickers, M. Scythian and Thracian Antiquities in Oxford (Ashmolean Handbooks), Oxford, 2003 and Braund, D. Scythians and Amazons, London, 2009. Very fine condition.