MONTROSE, CA.- A large Byzantine double-spouted bronze lamp from the 6th or 7th century AD, an extraordinary circa 1000-1500 AD full figure marble anthropic cohoba stand, and a marvelous 3rd century BC Etruscan terracotta head of a man are just a few of the highlights in Ancient Resource Auctions’ online-only Auction #82 – An Exceptional Spring Antiquities Sale.

The auction is already up and online for pre-bidding. It will go live on Saturday, March 14th, at 9 am Pacific time, and continue on through the afternoon that day. Up for bid are around 450 lots of authentic Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern, Holy Land, Byzantine, Asian and Pre-Columbian antiquities, plus ethnographic art, Natural History items and other rare collectibles.

All lots may be viewed and bid on now, via Ancient Resource Auctions’ bidding platform, at bid.AncientResourceAuctions.com, and on its bidding apps for both Android and Apple devices. Bids can also be placed on Invaluable.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. A link to LiveAuctioneers is at https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/161985_a82-exceptional-spring-antiquities-sale/.

“We’re featuring an incredible selection of antiquities from a wide variety of cultures in our first major online auction of the new year,” said Gabriel Vandervort, the owner of Ancient Resource Auctions, adding, “Bidders are bound to get some wonderful pieces at great prices.”

With a pre-sale estimate of $7,000-$10,000, the large Byzantine double-spouted bronze lamp is a strong candidate for top lot of the auction. The 9 ¾ inch tall lamp, on a flared pedestal foot, is lovely, with an elegant rounded body and well-preserved brown patinated surfaces with green deposits. Lamps with similar bodies and spout designs currently reside in the British Museum.

The full figure marble anthropic cohoba stand was an item used in hallucinogenic ceremonies. A bowl of cohoba would be placed on the effigy’s head and shared among participants. The stands were rarely made from stone, like this gorgeous 12 ½ inch tall example. The figure’s head is turned backward – commonly seen in Taino Art (est. $6,000-$8,000).

The Etruscan terracotta head of a man, 10 inches tall, is an outstanding example. He is veiled and is wearing a narrow diadem decorated with rosettes. Four small pinecones adorn his forehead and his features are wonderfully modeled in high relief, his hair short and well defined. Last acquired thru Sotheby’s, the piece should garner $4,000-$5,500.

A wonderful Egyptian bronze figure of the mother goddess Mut from the Late Period (circa 664-332 BC), depicted wearing a tight-fitting gown and striated wig, with uraeus surmounted by the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, 6 ¾ inches tall, has an estimate of $6,000-$7,500. Also, a very rare Egyptian wooden Apis Bull figure, also from the Late Period, well carved from a single piece of cedar, should garner $5,500-$8,000.

A large and beautiful Egyptian polychrome figure of the funerary deity Ptah-Sokar-Osiris from the Late Period, 25 ¼ inches tall, depicted mummiform on a rectangular integral base and with much of the original paint preserved, is expected to fetch $5,000-$8,000; while a large Greek terracotta figure of a bearded deity from the Late Hellenistic Period (2nd-1st Century BC), 20 ¾ inches tall and very well preserved, should hit $4,000-$7,000.

A wonderful Apulian red-figure fish plate from the 4th Century BC, depicting three perch-type fish, each beautifully executed with great style and detail, about 5 ½ inches in diameter, carries a pre-sale estimate of $3,500-$4,500. Also, a gorgeous Roman head of an enraptured Venus, the goddess of love, circa 2nd Century AD, likely once part of a paired statue with Pan, mounted on a marble stand, is estimated to reach $1,500-$3,000.

In addition to live and Internet bidding, phone and absentee bids will be accepted. When bidding this way, a 19.5 percent buyer’s premium will apply, versus a 24.5 percent when bidding online via LiveAuctioneers.com or Invaluable.com, and 20 percent via the Ancient Resource Auctions bidding platform and app. Previews are by appointment only; to schedule one call 818-425-9633.

Mr. Vandervort said Ancient Resource Auctions is one of the few truly specialized auction houses as it pertains to handling rare antiquities. “We’re a small operation with a true passion and dedication for ancient history,” he said, “with decades of combined experience working specifically with these items. Buyers can feel secure knowing we only offer genuine antiquities.”