Pitt-Rivers successful bids 1-4 June 1883

analysing the activities of a nineteenth-century collector

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Lawrence-Cesnola collection sales at Sotheby's in London

1.6.1883

	Lot number	Sale Catalogue Description	No. of objects	Price paid £.s.d	Notes
1	2	Glass Bowls 2 1/2 in, 2 in.	2	0.12.0	Add.9455vol1_p231 /1-2
2	4	Glass Bowls 3 in, 2 1/2 in	2	0.15.0	Add.9455vol1_p231 /3-4
3	16	Glass Bowls 2 1/2. 2 3/4 in, clear	2	0.15.0	Add.9455vol1_p231 /5-6
4	23	Glass Bowls 2 in 1 1/2 with lids	2	0.18.0	Add.9455vol1_p231 /7-8, Price erroneously given as £0.15.0
5	30	Glass Others [lachrymatories or unguentaria, long necks with moulded lips] 5 1/4 in and another iridescent	2	1.3.0	Add.9455vol1_p231 /9-10
6	36	Glass Unguentaria or lachrymatories 6 1/2 in and 2 small specimens	3	1.0.0	Add.9455vol1_p231 /11-13
7	37	Glass Unguentaria 6 1/2 in 5 3/4 in	2	1.3.0	Add.9455vol1_p232 /1-2
8	40	Glass Unguentaria 6 1/2 in and 2 others	3	1.3.0	Add.9455vol1_p232 /3-5
9	43	Glass Unguentaria 5 in and 3 others iridescent	4	1.18.0	Add.9455vol1_p232 /6-9
10	47	Glass Unguentaria 6 1/2 in and 2 others long	3	1.10.0	Add.9455vol1_p232 /10-12
11	65	Glass Unguentaria 6 3/4 in and 2 others	3	1.8.0	Add.9455vol1_p232 /13-15; lot number given as Lot 66
12	66	Glass Unguentaria 6 3/4 in and 2 others finely iridescent	3	1.12.0	Add.9455vol1_p232 /16-18; lot number given as Lot 67
13	76	Glass Unguentaria 4 3/4 in banded neck and 3 others iridescent, fine shapes	4	3.0.0	Add.9455vol1_p233 /1-4
14	85	Glass Unguentaria 7 in and 2 others fine iridescence	3	2.1.0	Add.9455vol1_p233 /5-7
15	87	Glass Unguentaria 6 1/4 in and 2 others iridescent	3	1.11.0	Add.9455vol1_p233 /8-10
16	120	Glass Unguentaria 6 1/4 in and 2 others iridescent	2 *	1.7.0	Add.9455vol1_p233 /11-13; * sic actually 3 objects
17	123	Glass Unguentaria 5 1/2 in a rare shape and 2 others iridescent	3	2.0.0	Add.9455vol1_p233 /14-16
18	199	Terra Cottas One 10 in and 2 others	3	0.11.0	Add.9455vol1_p236 /1-3
19	200	Terra Cottas One 6 1/2 in black and red ornamentation and 2 others	3	0.19.0	Add.9455vol1_p236 /4-6
20	201	Terra Cottas One 9 in chequer and fylfot patterns and 2 others	3	0.16.0	Add.9455vol1_p236 /7-9
21	202	Terra Cottas One 8 in black and ornamental lines and 2 others	3	0.18.0	Add.9455vol1_p237 /3-5
22	203	Terra Cottas One 9 in black and red triangle pattern and 2 others	3	0.16.0	Add.9455vol1_p237 /6-8 price given as £0.10.0
23	206	Terra Cottas One 9 in and 2 others	3	0.17.0	Add.9455vol1_p237 /9-11
Not listed against PR in sale catalogue	207	Terra Cottas One 7 in and 2 others	3	0.13.0	Add.9455vol1_p238 /1 Description Lot 207 £0.14.0 Archaic pale yellow terra cotta single handled vase, globular body, ornamental patterns in black, fylfots &c. 7 in high and 2 others. No illustration. According to the Sotheby sale catalogue this was actually sold to Lincoln not Pitt-Rivers [Lincoln seems to have been a dealer, see below for another item which is similar]
24	208	Terra Cottas One 8 in and 2 others	3	0.14.0	Add.9455vol1_p238 /2-4; price listed as 12/-
25	210	Terra Cottas One 7 1/2 in fine ornamentation but broken and 2 others	3	0.12.0	Add.9455vol1_p238 /5-7; price listed as £1.0.0
26	211	Terra Cottas One 9 in chequer, fylfot and arrows; and 2 others	3	1.0.0	Add.9455vol1_p238 /8-10; price given as 18/-
27	214	Terra Cottas One 10 in fine bold circles and cruciform ornamentation and 2 others	3	0.18.0	Add.9455vol1_p239 /4-6
28	217	Terra Cottas One 8 in and 2 others	3	0.14.0	Add.9455vol1_p239 /1-3
29	224	Terra Cottas [Archaic Vase or Amphora] Another 21 1/2 in	1	1.8.0	Add.9455vol1_p239 /7
30	225	Terra Cottas [Archaic Vase or Amphora] Another 21 in	1	1.7.0	Add.9455vol1_p242 /3
31	236	Two askoi 8 1/2 in	2	1.1.0	Add.9455vol1_p239 /8-9. Given as part of founding collection to the Pitt Rivers Museum where these objects still are; see 1884.38.42-43
32	239	Archaic vase 2 handles, globe body, red and black ornamentation 10 1/2 inches high	1	1.2.0	Add.9455vol1_p239 /10
33	243	Another [Archaic vase] 9 in	1	0.16.0	Add.9455vol1_p240 /1
34	249	Two vases, one 12 in high with figures of a Horse in archaic style fylfot &c (broken necks)	2	0.8.0	Add.9455vol1_p240 /2-3
35	251	Two ditto [Archaic Vases] circular mouths 12 in	2	0.19.0	Add.9455vol1_p240 /4-5
36	256	Another similar lot [Archaic Vases]	3	0.14.0	Add.9455vol1_p240 /6-8
37	258	Archaic Vase 12 in	1	0.12.0	Add.9455vol1_p241 /1
38	259	Archaic Oenochoe black and red ornamentation narrow lip 10 in and another	2	0.18.0	Add.9455vol1_p241 /2-3; price given as 12/-
39	266	One [Archaic Oenochoe] 9 in and another	2	0.14.0	Add.9455vol1_p241 /4-5
40	274	One [Archaic Oenochoe] 9 in and another	2	1.7.0	Add.9455vol1_p241 /6 and Add.9455vol1_p243 /4-5
41	277	One [Archaic Oenochoe] 10 in with ornament of a nondescript animal of a horse kind eating a sprig; and another 7 1/2 in a bird flying very fine Archaic art	2	0.16.0	Add.9455vol1_p241 /7-8
42	281	Another [Rhodian Amphora] 34 in	1	1.11.0	Add.9455vol1_p242 /1

42 out of 282 lots purchased. 103 objects in total purchased on 1 June 1883. Total spent = £46.2.0.

2.6.1883

On the second of June exactly the same sort of people were bidders as on the first day. However, Pitt-Rivers did not successfully bid until lot 497 [the day began at Lot 283. The prices seem no different from the day before so he was not necessarily being out-bid. He may have arrived late, or decided he was not interested in the first lots which comprised terra cottas and ancient glass. He also does not successfully bid for the rest of the day [which ends on lot 559.

Lot number

Sale Catalogue Description

No. of objects

Price paid

£.s.d

Notes

487

Ancient Glass One [Lachrymatory or Unguentarium] 5 3/4 in and 2 smaller

1.14.0

Add.9455vol1_p233 /17-19

497

Ancient Glass One [Lachrymatory or Unguentarium] 5 1/2 in and 2 smaller, good

0.16.0

Add.9455vol1_p234 /1-3

Two lots and six objects made on second day, about half way through sale for £2.10.0

3.6.1883

	Lot number	Sale Catalogue Description	No of objects	Price paid £.s.d	Notes
1	630	Ancient Glass One [Lachrymatory or Unguentarium] 2 1/2 in high engraved bands, moulded lip; and another with lids	2	1.14.0	Add.9455vol1_p234 /4-5
2	634	Ancient Glass Another 7 3/4 in high, long neck and moulded lip, finely iridescent, altogether a magnificent specimen of the ancient glass-worker’s art	1	4.10.0	Add.9455vol1_p234 /6
3	638	Ancient Glass Another 6 in high, same shape, good iridescence, elegant form	1	2.12.0	Add.9455vol1_p234 /7
4	640	Ancient Glass Jug 4 1/2 in high, of similar form, thick substance, pearly iridescence, a good specimen	1	2.16.0	Add.9455vol1_p234 /8
5	641	Ancient Glass Jug 4 3/4 in high, of similar form, amber coloured and iridescent, splendid form	1	2.1.0	Add.9455vol1_p119 /2
6	648	Ancient Glass Jug 3 1/4 in high, spherical body, cylindrical neck, moulded lip and ribbon handle, good form, pale green colour and iridescence	1	0.15.0	Add.9455vol1_p235 /2
7	650	Ancient Glass Jug 3 1/4 in high, moulded lip and elegantly formed ribbon handle, fine iridescence but broken	1	0.6.0	Add.9455vol1_p235 /3
8	655	Ancient Glass Lachrymatory or Unguentarium of unusual weight and form, 4 in high, richly iridescent with flashing colour	1	5.0.0	Add.9455vol1_p235 /4
9	658	Ancient Glass Aryballos or Bottle 3 3/4 in high, very beautiful sapphirine iridescence	1	7.10.0	Add.9455vol1_p235 /5
10	664	Ancient Glass Bowl or cup 3 3/4 in high, moulded foot, engraved bands cracked, and another equally fine and iridescent	2	1.15.0	Add.9455vol1_p236 /10-11
11	670	Ancient Glass One [bowl or cup] 4 5/8 in diam, and another smaller iridescent	2	2.10.0	Add.9455vol1_p237 /1-2
12	676	Terra Cotta One [Statuette of archaic design] 14 in high broken and another smaller	2	0.15.0	676 and 677 seem to have been bought together for 15/- for both lots together Add.9455vol1_p252 /2-3
13	677	Terra Cotta One [Statuette of archaic design] 12 in tall head dress and another smaller	2	See above	Add.9455vol1_p253 /1-2
14	684	Terra Cotta A similar figure 13 1/2 in and another smaller	2	0.5.0	684 and 685 seem to have been bought together for 5/- for both lots together Add.9455vol1_p252 /4-5
15	685	Terra Cotta A similar figure 13 in feet broken off and another smaller	2	See above	Add.9455vol1_p252 /6-7
16	691	Terra Cotta A similar figure 11 in and another smaller	2	0.11.0	691 and 692 seem to have been bought together for 11/- for both lots together Add.9455vol1_p253 /3-4
17	692	Terra Cotta A similar figure 11 1/2 in and another smaller	2	See above	Add.9455vol1_p253 /5-6

17 lots and 26 objects bought on 3rd day, for £33. The most expensive lot cost £7.10.0, a lot more than he paid for anything else. This is the almost the most that was spent by any bidder for any of the lots on any of the four days. The only higher sums were at the very end of the last day when Lincoln paid £10.15.0 for heads of weapons [lot 1094] and Fenton paid £16.4.0 for 13 other lots of Cyprus albums [which appear to have been added to the sale at the last moment]. So Pitt-Rivers bid for lot 658 is certainly the highest price paid for a single item over the four days of this sale. The cheapest on 3.6.1883 by Pitt-Rivers was 5/-, mostly he paid much more than usually on the lots on this day.

Note that the descriptions in the catalogue do not resemble the sale catalogue descriptions

4.6.1883

	Lot number	Sale Catalogue Description	No. of objects	Price paid £.s.d	Notes
1	924	Vases and Fictilla Another [Fine large double-handled archaic vase] 31 3/4 in high	1	2.8.0	Add.9455vol1_p243 /1
2	925	Vases and Fictilla Another [Fine large double-handled archaic vase] 33 1/2 in high 25 in diam very massive and of exceptional size has been fractured and repaired in Cyprus	1	3.12.0	Add.9455vol1_p243 /2
3	935	Vases and Fictilla Archaic Vase 9 1/2 in high four handled Bull’s head and other ornamentation imperfect rare shape	1	0.6.0	Add.9455vol1_p242 /4
4	936	Vases and Fictilla Archaic Amphora 8 1/4 in pattern in red and black colour rich design	1	0.14.0	Add.9455vol1_p243 /3
5	956	Vases and Fictilla Similar Vases with birds &c 1 chipped	3	0.9.0	Add.9455vol1_p244 /1-3
6	960	Vases and Fictilla A tall jug or oenochoe 11 in high, black ground with yellow ornamentation	1	1.0.0	Add.9455vol1_p244 /4
7	976	Vases and Fictilla Another [Amphora] 13 in high same style, and an Amphora with foot, 8 in high same style	2	0.17.0	Add.9455vol1_p244 /5-6
8	979	Vases and Fictilla An Amphora with pointed base, 13 in high, 1 handle same style and one smaller	2	0.11.0	Add.9455vol1_p244 /7-8
9	981	Vases and Fictilla A fictile Lantern, or Fumigator, cylindrical body pierced with holes, looped handle, portable perhaps for hand warming &c 9 in high	1	0.17.0	Add.9455vol1_p245 /1
10	982	Vases and Fictilla Another 9 in high	1	0.11.0	Add.9455vol1_p245 /2
11	985	Vases and Fictilla Another handle wanting	1	0.7.0	Add.9455vol1_p245 /3
12	995	Vases and Fictilla Another [Jug or Ewer] 8 1/4 in high cabled handle frilled neck	1	0.6.0	Add.9455vol1_p245 /4
13	998	Toys and Figures Another [Equestrian figure] 6 in high but in good condition	1	0.6.0	Add.9455vol1_p246 /1
14	1001	Toys and Figures Another 4 1/2 in curious art	1	0.6.0	Add.9455vol1_p246 /2
15	1005	Toys and Figures Models of Horse, Dog and Ram	3	0.9.0	Add.9455vol1_p246 /3-5
16	1006	Toys and Figures Models of Bull, armadillo [sic] and Sheep	3	0.9.0	Add.9455vol1_p246 /6-8
17	1009	Toys and Figures An Aryballos in form of a sheep 6 1/2 in painted	1	0.6.0	Add.9455vol1_p246 /9
18	1010	Toys and Figures Smaller sheep	2	0.15.0	Add.9455vol1_p246 /10-11
19	1011	Toys and Figures An Aryballos in form of a duck 8 1/2 in	1	0.16.0	Add.9455vol1_p247 /1
20	1012	Toys and Figures An Aryballos in form of a pig 6 in and another smaller one forms a rattle	2	0.8.0	Add.9455vol1_p247 /2-3
21	1013	Toys and Figures A similar lot [An Aryballos in form of a pig 6 in and another smaller one forms a rattle	2	0.18.0	Add.9455vol1_p247 /4-5
22	1015	Vases. Ornamental Libation Vase or Perfume Sprinkler, spouted neck, loops at sides, painted in chequered lines &c 8 in high Archaic	1	1.1.0	Add.9455vol1_p247 /6
23	1017	Vases. Another 7 1/2 in	1	0.18.0	Add.9455vol1_p247 /7
24	1023	Vases. One [Aryballos] 6 in chipped and another smaller	2	0.16.0	Add.9455vol1_p248 /1-2
25	1041	Vases Tetine 7 in high and a Phiale black ornamentation	2	0.11.0	Add.9455vol1_p248 /3-4
26	1043	Vases A similar lot [Vase with strainer and Phiale]	2	0.6.0	Add.9455vol1_p248 /5-6
27	1044	Vases Tetine 6 in high and a two handled Cylix	2	0.7.0	Add.9455vol1_p248 /7-8
28	1052	Vases Lekythus or conical Jug 6 3/4 in and another vase chipped	2	0.9.0	Add.9455vol1_p248 /9-10
29	1055	Vases Amphora 8 3/4 in ribbed and a two-handled Cylix painted	2	0.11.0	Add.9455vol1_p249 /1-2
30	1056	Vases Another 7 1/4 in and a Patera painted	2	0.9.0	Add.9455vol1_p249 /3-4
31	1058	Vases A similar lot	2	0.7.0	Add.9455vol1_p249 /5-6
32	1074	Vases Amphora 4 3/4 in red glaze black ornamentation and a small vase	2	0.16.0	Add.9455vol1_p249 /7-8
33	1076	Vases Jug red ware 7 in and an early Phiale	2	0.7.0	Add.9455vol1_p249 /9-10
34	1081	Stone Heads Small head from a statuette Assyrian style wearing a cap hair in small curls 6 1/2 in high chalky calcareous stone	1	0.4.6	Add.9455vol1_p250 /1
35	1083	Stone Heads Male head from a statuette Graeco-Roman style wearing a coronet of laurel leaves 6 in high calcareous stone	1	0.2.6	Add.9455vol1_p250 /2
36	1084	Stone heads Female head from a statuette, wearing a cloth head dress 8 in high calcareous stone with some traces of colouring	1	0.4.0	Add.9455vol1_p250 /3
37	1085	Stone Heads Male head from statuette Greek style wearing a wreath of leaves 8 in high calcareous stone	1	0.4.6	Add.9455vol1_p250 /4. This is actually said to have been bought by Lincoln in the sale catalogue not Pitt-Rivers see above for another item bought by Lincoln but recorded as Pitt-Rivers in catalogue of 2nd coll.
37	1086	Stone Heads Male head from statuette probably iconic, bearded Graeco-Roman style wearing a laurel wreath 9 1/2 in high calcareous stone	1	0.4.6	Add.9455vol1_p251 /2
39	1087	Head of a youth from a Statuette, wearing a broad fillet adorned with flowers 9 1/2 in high calcareous stone	1	0.6.0	Add.9455vol1_p251 /1. This item was actually said in sale catalogue to have been bought by Smith not Pitt-Rivers but recorded in catalogue of the 2nd coll.
38	1088	Stone Heads Head of a female or Goddess, draped, from a sculptured slab or sarcophagus 10 in high calcareous stone	1	0.11.6	Add.9455vol1_p251 /3
39	1089	Stone Heads Early female bust, perhaps iconic, wearing drapery on the head, and a necklet round the neck, 10 1/2 in high calcareous stone	1	0.7.0	Add.9455vol1_p252 /1

39 [or 41] lots and 60 [or 62] objects were purchased on the fourth day of the sale by Pitt-Rivers, for a total cost of £25.3.0. or £25.13.6. This is the first sale in which items are not sold in multiples of shillings (with most lots going for shillings rather than pounds. Lots 1081, 1083, [1085], 1086, and 1088 were all sold in bids of sixpence, which suggests either that these lots were initially unpopular, or all other bids also started with raises in sixpence but then increased by shillings (or coincidentally all ended in round shillings which doesn’t seem likely). 2 sixpence made a shilling (there were twelve pennies in a shilling and these came in coins valued fractions of a penny, a penny, a thruppence (3d), a sixpence up to a shilling, there were 20 shillings in a pound for younger or non-English readers. It is not known why 2 stone heads attributed to other bidders in the sale catalogue [Lincoln and Smith] are recorded in the catalogue of the second collection as being owned by Pitt-Rivers.

Sale	No. of successful bids	No. of objects acquired	Total spent £.s.d.
1.6.1883	42	103	46.2.0
2.6.1883	2	6	2.10.0
3.6.1883	17	26	33.0.0
4.6.1883	39	60	25.3.0
Total	98	135	106.15.0

AP April / May 2012

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