Surprisingly affordable genuine antiquities
There have always been collectors of antiquities, especially when you consider the status of having a marble bust of a Roman emperor greeting your guests in the foyer.
By the 17th century the art of ancient Egypt was discovered and again students and collectors got involved. By the late 19th century British excavations stirred the interest of tourists and collectors alike. Hundreds purchased small artifacts, usually small figures and pottery sold to them as antiquities by mysterious Egyptian street vendors and shop keepers. Especially popular were amulets of Isis and Ra in blue faience. They still turn up at shows and auctions.
I know it sounds unbelievable that it is possible to pay as little as $200 for a small Egyptian station (954-853 B.C.) or a Neolithic painted pottery jar c. 2000 B.C. or a free blown amber marbled glass flask c. 1st century A.D. for $1,000/$2,000.
Surprisingly the answer is yes because they aren’t very rare. According to Bill Gage, in the expert department of James Julia Auctions, they turn up regularly at auction. “They are still digging it up and it was untouched for 2,000 years.”
Excerpted from an article by Anne Gilbert for Pioneer Local
