TimeLine Auctions, the British saleroom renowned for offering museum-quality antiquities, is set to host its Antiquities & Ancient Art Auction on 2 June 2026. The event will showcase exceptional pieces from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and the western Mediterranean, spanning from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period.
Highlights of the Auction
The catalogue features two named Mesopotamian kings. A hemispherical bronze bowl bears the five-sign cuneiform name of Manishtushu of Akkad (circa 2270–2255 B.C., lot 249), representing one of the earliest named royal inscriptions to appear on the market in recent years. From the Kassite period, an agate eye-bead inscribed with the name of Kurigalzu II (lot 250) and a banded agate cylinder seal with a Sumerian prayer to the storm god Adad (lot 216) will also be offered.
Egyptian Treasures
The Egyptian section is led by a 40-centimeter basalt figure of the Saite customs official Wahibre, depicted kneeling to support a wide offering basin. Separated in the 19th century, the two parts have now been reunited for the first time at auction (lot 61). Additional Egyptian highlights include a 70-centimeter hollow-cast bronze Osiris from the 26th Dynasty (lot 81) and a painted wooden stele linking Amun at Luxor to Osiris at Abydos (lot 65).
Greek Vessels
Two Attic vessels stand out in the Greek section. A 6th-century B.C. black-figure pyxis depicts the chariot procession of an Athenian bride, with the reception at her new house on the lid (lot 96). A 5th-century red-figure column krater pairs Europa with a Dionysiac triad, presenting two scenes of divine power on one vessel (lot 88).
Corsican Hoard
From the western Mediterranean comes the Gravona bronzes, a group of ten objects recovered from a railway cutting in Corsica in the 1880s and published by Robert Forrer in 1924. This rare Bronze Age Corsican hoard includes a dagger or short sword, dagger pommel, crescent-shaped axe, harness fitting, several fibulae, and a group of rings, offering a strong impression of Bronze Age metalworking, personal adornment, weaponry, and ritual or practical objects from the Ajaccio area.
Auction Details
Day One is the flagship sale with a dedicated printed catalogue, followed by online-only sessions from 3 to 8 June. The auction concludes with an Ancient Coins, Weights, Tokens & Medals sale on 9-10 June. Bidding is available via absentee, telephone, or live online through TimeLine’s bidding platform, LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, or The Saleroom. Payments are accepted in GBP, and worldwide shipping is available. For inquiries, contact +44 (0) 1277 815121 or email ah@timelineauctions.com. Visit timelineauctions.com for more information.
