A 1st or 2nd century Roman marble statue of Apollo has an estimate of £6000-12,000 at Pax Romana in London on March 29.
Standing 2ft 1in (63cm) high on a custom-made stand, it comes for sale as the ‘property of a central London ancient art gallery’ and was previously sourced from a British private collection formed in the 1980s.
This Rolex Oyster Ref 6430, above, is a rarity featuring Arabic numerals to the dial. Made c.1963, it is in excellent original condition.
The estimate at Watches of Knightsbridge on March 28 is £5000-10,000.
watchesofknightsbridge.com or see this item on thesaleroom.com
The Fine Furniture, Sculpture, Carpets and Ceramics auction at Dreweatts on March 31 includes a Ceylonese ebony and specimen wood centre table.
Dating from the second quarter of the 19th century, it is typical of the furniture manufactured in the Galle district that combine English designs with local ornament. They were supplied to colonists in Ceylon and India and for export to England.
Estimate £5000-10,000.
dreweatts.com or see this item on thesaleroom.com
This group of late-19th century Chinese export bowls and saucers above, to be offered by Chiswick Auctions on April 3, was made for the Middle Eastern market – specifically for the Qajar prince Mas’ud Mirza Zill al-Sultan (1850-1918).
Each piece is dated 1297AH for 1879-80. Alongside typical Guangdong famille rose decoration is the unusual grey-mauve ground and a gilt inscription in Persian that identifies them as part of the large service commissioned by the prince, the eldest son of the ruling Shah Naser al-Din Shah (1831-96).
As his mother was a commoner, Mas’ud Mirza was excluded from the Qajar throne and instead operated as governor of Isfahan from 1866-99. His title Zill al-Sultan means the Shadow of the King.
Several porcelain sets and vessels from his service have appeared on the London auction market in recent years including a group of pieces sold by Chiswick Auctions for £19,000 as part of a sale of Islamic art in October 25.
These bowls, with an estimate of £6000-8000, come from the same European private collection.
