Day One, “Wonders of the Past”, offers 405 lots, including a Fayum portrait, a Flemish St Martin and two Rajasthani celestial musicians

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HARWICH, United Kingdom, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A previously unattested Egyptian title, carved into a monument made for a son of Ramesses II, is among the highlights of TimeLine Auctions' 8 September “Wonders of the Past” sale.

Carved in granite for Prince Parahirwenemef, son of Ramesses II and Nefertari, the base preserves the feet, sandals and toes of a kneeling royal statue (lot 16, 19th Dynasty, circa 1250 B.C., £40,000-60,000). Among the titles carved on the plinth is tpy n mšꜥ, “chief of troops” - a rank not previously attested. Egyptologist Paul Whelan is preparing a study.

A man in Roman Egypt sits for his portrait holding a glass of wine and wearing a garland of roses, a ring on his finger. The Fayum wooden portrait of a bearded man (lot 116, £18,000-24,000) captures him at a moment of ease and ceremony. Published by Klaus Parlasca, it survives as a remarkably direct image of an individual from seventeen centuries ago.

Two gandharvas, celestial musicians from Rajasthan, are shown in red sandstone, one playing a stringed instrument and the other a drum (lot 247, 11th-12th century A.D., £20,000-30,000). Their carved hair, jewellery and eyelids retain a remarkable level of detail.

A 15th-century Flemish carver depicts St Martin on horseback, arm raised to divide his cloak and give part of it to the beggar below (lot 306, £20,000–30,000).

“Collecting is nothing new. In the 1st century B.C., Cicero wrote to a friend in Athens asking for more Greek sculpture for his villa. The objects we collect have always moved through other hands, other homes, other lives. Many have outlived the empires that made them.

“To collect is simply to take your turn holding something that was never meant to stay in one place forever. We are custodians, and only for a while.” - Aaron Hammond

Auction: 8 September, 1pm BST / 8am ET. Further auctions: “Discover the Past”, 9-11 September; Natural History and Philately, 12 September; Numismatics, 15-16 September. Bidding: absentee, telephone or live online. Enquiries: +44 (0) 1277 815121 / enquiries@timelineauctions.com

TimeLine Auctions is a British auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, coins and natural history.