Brafa’s event this year, which took place from January 21st thru 29th, hosted around 120 art dealers from more than ten countries. This year, 54 of them came from Belgium. The program ensures a variety of exhibitors, ranging from antiquities to contemporary art, by allowing only 20% of participants to re-attend each year.

This year’s impressive antique dealers included Phoenix Ancient Art, as well as Galerie Chenel, Roswitha Eberwein and Tradart. Tradart, a coin specialist, presented a silver tetradrachm with the nymph Arethuse from around 450 BC, while Phoenix’s highlights included an Aegean marble idol from the 3rd millennium BC.

Other artifacts on display included medieval sculptures and other works of art from Mullany and De Backker. The most impressive in these exhibits included a Burgundian limestone sculpture of the Virgin from around 1450 in exquisite condition, complete with original polychromy, as well as an anonymous “Nativity” from 1500 based on a creation of Hugo van der Goes.

The fair was also abundant in Asian art from the 10th and 11th centuries, including a Dancing Ganesh from Central India and whalebone, ivory, tortoiseshell, buffalo horn and rosewood Japanese Bachi. A 1992 Picasso, “Still Life with Fruit Bowl and Guitar”, previously unknown, was also displayed. Other pieces included a bejeweled pendant, unique furniture and much more.

A glassware history researcher and part-time instructor at Tokai University, Akiko Inoue, analyzed the pieces, and concluded that the vessels must have had a special significance.

The fact that “they were treated so importantly even though they were broken pieces suggests the original vessels they came from may have had some special meaning,” Inoue said.

Experts believe that the original glass vessels were made through glassblowing, though with a more advanced technique than some other glass balls found alongside them. Basing their theory on both technique and technology, researchers concluded that the pieces were made between the 10th and 12th century in China, while the gold foil was likely added in Japan.

Now on display at the Hosho Museum, the pieces still present several mysteries. Yoshitaka Aruga, a professor of the Tokyo University of the Arts, said the patterns are “simple and pictorial.” He added that the pattern on the lid looks like it could signify trickling rain. “The patterns let us imagine ancient times,” he said.

Norihiko Ogura, a professor at the same university, said the design can be seen as the inner core of a flower, as well. “There are probably meanings to the designs and the fact that gold was used, but these and many other things, including technical questions like how they applied the gold leaf, are still mysteries,” he said.

Adam’s directors James O’Halloran and Stuart Cole both worked the marathon auction. As they told the Sunday Independent, “Jill was a very well-regarded and astute dealer who is perhaps best known as a specialist in Irish glass. This, however, only tells part of the story as she was equally enthusiastic about Irish silver, Staffordshire pottery figures, Irish furniture and Irish paintings and prints.”

The finest works at the auction included a Victorian Killarney-work Library Table that went for €8,500 and an Irish George IV yew wood cellarette that made €3,000. During the evening session the Irish paintings were put up for auction. Ena Douglas was the first to sell, making €6,600. A Daniel O’Neill’s painting “The Decision” made €26,000.

The bow is made of bamboo, and the quiver of wood and colored leather. The bow is shaped into three curves, to allow easier and more comfortable use, and the ends are curled into loops for attaching the bowstring. These loops were covered in leather for additional strength. The quiver is a triangular, slightly tapering tube of wood, adorned with strips of leather in shades of red, green and brown, and decorated with figures of animals such as horses and deer.

While excavating a temple on Luxor’s west bank, investigators discovered the statue of Amenhotep III.  The statue is 4 feet, 3 inches tall and 3 feet, 1 inch wide and depicts the pharaoh seated on a throne with Theban god Amun.

Experts will now be busy digging for the rest of the statue, as they’ve only found the upper part of the limestone piece so far.  According to a statement by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, there may even be other statues of Amenhotep III at the site.

One example of an exceptional antique that will be on display is a Belt with Heracles Knot from the late 4^th to early 3^rd century B.C. from Greece.  This belt includes gold, garnet and emerald green glass and it epitomizes the finest Greek jewelry of the Hellenistic period.  The belt includes three main parts.  It has a large Heracles knot in the center and a flat strap on each side of interlinked gold chains.

This statue belongs to the “Middle Period” which was at the same time, approximately, as the Hellenistic Greek period.

In recent news, archeologists in Egypt have unearthed 57 ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to around 2750 B.C. The find actually throws new light on Egypt’s ancient religions, according to Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.  Find out more about the recent discovery of these antiques.