Ancient Wonders: Antiquities and Natural History

Hannah Solomon is a Specialist and Head of Department of the Antiquities department at Christie’s New York. She joined the department in 2010 and oversees the auctions in New York as well as collaborates with her London colleagues on their bi-annual auctions. Hannah also works closely with the department’s international clients sourcing and selling material year-round via Christie’s private treaty channel. Hannah has been responsible for a number of recording-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 in April 2019 that sold for over $4.8 million.

Hannah’s passion of the ancient art is cross-cultural, which lead her to earn two Master’s degrees: one from the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU, 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 & armor and Minoan and Mycenaean works of art.

James has been Christie’s specialist for Science & Natural History since 2007, and head of Department since 2012.

His first auction at Christie’s was the highly successful pair of Blaeu globes sold in Amsterdam in 2008 for a world record price (€793,850). Other early highlights include the silver armillary sphere in the Yves Saint Laurent sale (€781,000) and the silver simple microscope by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in 2009 (£313,250). James’ strong personal interest in Geology has resulted in the growth of Natural History sales over the years culminating in the world record price for a Dinosaur with STAN in October 2020 ($31,847,500). With the advent of online sales, he was the first to launch dedicated history of science and technology sales, in June 2013 an Apple-1 personal computer sold for $387,750 in the sale First Bytes: Iconic Technology from the Twentieth Century, followed by a world record price for an enigma machine in November 2014 Code Breakers: Enigmas and Other Cipher Machines for $365,000. Recent sales of note include a record price for a meteorite at auction (£525,000) in the Exceptional sale 8 July 2021 and a world record for a dinosaur skull (£500,000) in 12-26 October 2021 online auction.

A graduate of Jesus College, Cambridge, James speaks English and French; he previously worked for a UK science museum and has sat on the committee of the Scientific Instrument Society.

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.