.
. . . . . . . . .
Home > Plan Your Trip > Travel Articles > Ancient Greek Vases

Travel Articles

. . 

Ancient Greek Vases Formerly in the Private Collection of Dr. Elie Borowski Christie's

By Carter B. Horsley

According to Christie's, this evening sale of "this near encyclopedia collection of ancient Greek vases is without question the largest - and arguably the finest - assembly of its kind ever offered at auction." Certainly many of the lots are museum-caliber and the sale was very successful with 93 percent of the offered lots selling for a total of $7,053,906. The next day's regular Antiquities auction at Christie's was also successful with 87 percent of the offered lots selling for a total of $7,888,083. The combined, two-day total of $14.9 million was the "most successful season total for antiquities in Christie's history," the auction house announced. The collection of Greek vases was assembled by Dr. Elie Borowski, who sold it about 10 years ago to raise funds for his establishment of the Bible Lands Museum in Jersusalem to house his equally impressive collection of Near Eastern Art. A large and fine collection of cylinder seals formerly in his collection is being sold at Christie's Spring 2000 Antiquities auction.Lot 127, a Sicilian polychrome Lekanis with lid, Centuripe, circa 275-225 B.C., 23 1/2 inches high is a large and dramatically and ornately decorated Lekanis with a very tall lid, shown above. The front of the vessel is painted in tempera and the lid depicts "The Judgment of Paris." The lot has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It sold for a hammer price of $40,000. Other highlights include Lot 8, a geometric loutherion, Attic, circa 750-725 B.C., 12 1/2 inches high with delightful depictions of animals and has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000; Lot 12, a Corinthian black-figured alabastron, circa 620-590 BC., 9 5/8 inches high, that is particularly stylish and strong and has a modest estimate of $7,000 to $9,000 and which sold for a hammer price of $18,000; Lot 13, a Corinthian black-figured head-pxyis, attributed to the Severeanu painter, circa 570-560 B.C., 5 5/8 inches high, with projecting female protomai from the shoulder that has an estimate of only $12,000 to $18,000 and which sold for a hammer price of $9,000; Lot 26, a Euboean black-figured neck amphora, circa 560-550 B.C., 15 11/16 inches high with very lively painting and an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000, and which sold for a hammer price of $35,000; Lot 41, an Attic black-figured neck amphora, attributed to the Swing painter, circa 540-530 B.C., 14 13/16 inches high, that has some paint loss but considerable nobility and an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000, and which sold for a hammer price of $30,000; Lot 44, an Attic black-figured hydria, manner of the Lysippides painter, circa 530-520 B.C., 21 3/4 inches high, that has a chariot scene on its side and an extremely nice frieze of warriors along its rather flat shoulder and an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000, and which sold for a hammer price of $150,000; and Lot 48, an Attic black-figured pelike, attributed to the Plousious painter, circa 520-510 B.C., 14 1/4 inches high, that is lovely although one side is missing much of the head of a man playing at a gaming table with another man and has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000, and which sold for a hammer price of $55,000.