The sale on 3-4 July 1871 was described in its frontispiece as
'Catalogue of the remaining portion of Pottery and Greek Glass obtained from the Excavations made in the Island of Cyprus, comprising lamps with potter's marks, fine vases and objects in terra-cotta, incised ware beautiful Greek glass, enriched with iridescence, antique bronzes, fine Greek gold ornaments, busts and caricatures of celebrated artists and public characters by M. Danton Miscellaneous articles, antique gems set as rings, an enamelled gold bracelet set with diamonds by Marrel of Paris, Stone Celtsm flint arrow heads & other implements found in Ireland &c &c which will be sold at auction by Messrs Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge ... On Monday the 3rd July 1871 and following Day at One O'Clock precisely.
The annotated auctioneer's sale catalogue, of which the Pitt Rivers Museum has a photocopy of the set held by the Bodleian, lists Pitt-Rivers (or Lane Fox as he was then) as the purchaser of the following lots
|
Lot no |
Sale Catalogue Description |
No of objects |
Price paid £.s.d |
Notes |
|
|
1 |
19 |
… A curious Vase with long spout and slanting raised lip, and a small one of different form |
2 |
0.10.0 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
|
2 |
21 |
…A small bowl; sarcophagus and small bottle black ground |
3 |
0.9.0 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
|
3 |
24 |
Objects in terra cotta Three other heads one with the Paetasus, another laureated |
3 |
0.16.0 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
|
4 |
25 |
Objects in terra cotta Three singular figures of the Cyprian Venus |
3 |
1.6.0 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
|
5 |
33 |
Objects in terra cotta Five grotesque figures of animals |
5 |
1.14.0 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
|
6 |
59 |
Objects in terra cotta Large Bead ornamented whirls of different sizes and other objects in hard stone |
12 |
1.19.0 |
Possibly 1884.76.141-142 and some other spindles etc |
|
7 |
62 |
Greek and Roman Bronzes Six other [spear heads] smaller |
6 |
1.11.0 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
|
8 |
63 |
Greek and Roman Bronzes Spear with Socket Celts &c |
10 |
4.4.0 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
|
9 |
113 |
Objects in terra cotta &c Votive Hands, ears, eyes, &c and some small objects engraved |
Unclear |
0.16.0 |
1884.56.94-9 |
|
10 |
117 |
Objects in terra cotta &c Eight others [heads] |
8 |
0.2.6 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
|
11 |
126 |
Bronzes 6 others |
Unclear |
1.12.0 |
This cannot be matched for lack of information in the PRM documentation |
11 lots bought with more than 52 objects (the exact number unclear as the lots are not always precise) at a cost of 14.19.0
List of known successful bidders apart from Lane Fox (we do not have a complete list of all the lots and who bought them to hand, and the handwritten names are often illegible):
Elias - Cannot trace
* Feuardent - Felix Feuardent
* Flower - John Wickham Flower
Franks - Augustus Wollaston Franks
* Gregory - Possibly a dealer based in Covent Garden, London who also sold other objects to Pitt-Rivers?
Holloway - Cannot trace
* Lincoln - Possibly W.S. Lincoln and Son Dealers Numismastists and antiquaries
Loftie - Possibly William John Loftie (1839-1911) British clergyman, antiquary and writer
Mahew / Mayhew - Possibly Samuel Martin Mayhew, F.S.A. etc (?-1898). Associated with another object in 2nd collection which did not come directly
* Pearson - possibly a dealers, as someone / some company called Pearson's were the source of 6 bronze archaeological objects from Cyprus in 1882 so the items were presumably resold them to Pitt-Rivers for second collection and may have been obtained at an earlier Cesnola-Lawrence sale [Listed on RPR People Webpage]
* Terry - possibly Edmund Terry a curiosity dealer of 162 Wardour Street London who sold items to Pitt-Rivers second collection
* Thompson - Cannot trace
* Wareham - possibly William Wareham 14 Charing Cross Road London, a curiosity dealer who sold items to both Pitt-Rivers collections
* White - Cannot trace
* = Also successful bidders at other Cesnola auctions.
If you know anything about the individuals or dealers listed above that we cannot trace please let us know, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
AP May 2012
