Ancient Art and Antiquities

Christie’s is the market leader for antiquities and ancient works of art and the only auction house to hold auctions in both New York and London. Four times a year, the department offers the finest examples of Classical and Egyptian sculpture, arms and armour, Attic and South Italian pottery, and ancient Greek, Roman and Near Eastern gemstones and jewellery, achieving world record results by attracting a wide range of collectors — both dedicated antiquities collectors and new buyers.

Recent successes include Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I, which was 100% sold by lot and nearly doubled its pre-sale low estimate (January 2024); a Roman sardonyx cameo of the Emperor Claudius, formerly in the Arundel and Rothschild collections, which sold for $2,107,000 (estimate $200,000-300,000, October 2023); a Greek Bronze Head of Eros, which realised £1,855,000, the highest price achieved for any antiquity globally that year (July 2024); and a monumental Roman marble janiform herm head, which sold for £567,000 (December 2024).

Christie’s commitment to expertise, research and provenance makes it the go-to house for collectors worldwide. In addition to our auctions, the department has a robust private sales programme year-round.

Our global team of specialists is available for free and confidential valuations or to discuss the market for your antiquities. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss buying or selling at auction or through private sale.

An ancient Egyptian relief showing a hieroglyphic inscription and a statue in traditional attire.

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Antiquities

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Contact us

From free valuations to market advice, our specialists are here to answer your questions.

Hannah Solomon
Vice President, International Head of Department
New York
Call+1 212 636 2256
E-mailhsolomon@christies.com
Hannah Solomon is the International Head of the Antiquities department. A lifelong New Yorker, Hannah joined the department in 2010 and oversees worldwide ancient art sales in New York, London and Paris. She has been responsible for a number of record-breaking results, including the sale of a Greek Bronze Helmet of Chalcidian Type that realized over $1 million in April 2017, and a Roman Marble Portrait Bust of the Emperor Didius Julianus that sold for over $4.8 million in April 2019. Most recently, Hannah organized the series of sales of Ancient Art and Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art (December 2023–December 2024), which realized a combined total of nearly $19m, with the top lot — an important Roman Iron, Brass and Copper Helmet for Julius Mansuetus — selling for $1,260,000, a record for any Roman helmet at auction.

Hannah's passion for ancient art is cross-cultural, which led her to earn two master's degrees: one from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, with a focus on the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean; and another in the Arts of China from Christie's Education/University of Glasgow. Hannah's areas of specialty include Greek arms and armor, and Minoan and Mycenaean works of art.
Maxwell Murphy
Associate Vice President, Specialist
New York
Call+1 212 636 2245
E-mailmaxwellmurphy@christies.com
Maxwell Murphy is an Associate Specialist in the Antiquities department at Christie’s New York. Maxwell joined the department in 2017 and in his current role catalogues and researches ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, and Near Eastern antiquities for the department’s biannual New York sales and supports the international Antiquities team with business getting, appraisals, long-term projects and private sales. Maxwell holds a B.A. in Art History from Cornell University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.
Anaïs Shen
Sale Coordinator
New York
Call+1 212 636 2281
E-mailanaisshen@christies.com
Rowena Field
Junior Specialist & Cataloguer
London
Call+44 20 7389 2113
E-mailrfield@christies.com
Rowena Field is a Junior Specialist & Cataloguer in the Antiquities department at Christie's, London. In her current role, she is responsible for researching and cataloguing pieces that come to sale, as well as supporting the team with business getting, valuations, and private sales. Having gained her First Class BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge, Rowena completed her MPhil at the University of Oxford where she wrote her thesis on the iconography of 'nature worship' on Minoan gems and sealstones. Prior to joining Christie's, Rowena was part of Bonhams' Antiquities department.
Chanel Beaumont
Specialist
London
Call+44 (0) 20 7752 3331
E-mailcbeaumont@christies.com
Chanel Beaumont is a Specialist in the Antiquities Department, based in London. Chanel started at Christie’s in 2014 in the Client Services department, handling external and internal queries relating to all aspects of bidding, buying and selling. In 2016 she joined the Antiquities department as Sale Coordinator and was appointed Junior Specialist the same year and later Associate Specialist. In her role as Specialist, she sources and appraises material across Europe, contributing to the department’s biannual sales through provenance research and cataloguing.
Chanel graduated from The University of Edinburgh with a first class MA Joint Honors in Classics and the Scandinavian Languages, where she had focussed predominantly on Early and Archaic Greek art and archaeology.
Emma Saber
Consultant
London
Call+44 20 7752 3025
E-mailesaber@christies.com
Emma is a consultant for the London Antiquities Department with over 20 years of experience working with ancient artefacts for auction houses, independent valuers and private clients. She originally joined the department in 1999 and has worked on the bi-annual London auctions, as well as being instrumental in single owner collections and private sales, with highlights including the sale of the Jenkins Venus for 7.9 million in 2002, the Crosby Garret Helmet for 2.3 million in 2011 and the Egyptian limestone statue of Sekhemka for 15.7 million in 2014. Emma is an Honours graduate in Ancient History from London University, with a particular interest in classical vases and sculpture.