The Merrins & Confidential Art Sales

Over the past five decades, Edward and Samuel Merrin have acquired, and placed major ancient art collections with leading institutions and private collectors.

Especially in the last few years, Samuel Merrin has acquired old collections from major families. Working with the owners, who wanted the transactions kept confidential, he placed these valued objects of art 'quietly'. Celebrated as one of the great advantages of The Merrin Gallery, this has kept Sam a major player in the art world—sometimes even rivaling Sotheby's and Christie's. Where, to purchase private collections and individual pieces, he has at times outbid both auction houses.

Sam has the standing and ability to either purchase part or entire collections, acquired many years ago, and respect the selling wishes of clients.

More about: Samuel Merrin, or Edward Merrin & Gallery.

Roundup: Ancient Egypt, Greece and Sam Merrin

Renowned expert for pre-Columbian and ancient art, find out about Sam Merrin here, the owner and president of The Merrin Gallery, Inc.

Recent acquisitions of the Merrin Gallery include three fabulous pieces that have been discussed on this blog:

1. Ancient, 2,500 year old Egyptian figurine
2. Large decorated amphora from ancient Greece
3. Beautiful wooden mask from an Egyptian sarcophagus

An Ancient Egyptian Shabti

In tune with Sam Merrin's recent comment in regards to Tutenkhamun's exhibition at the Met, the Merrin Gallery has acquired an ancient Egyptian piece from the 26th dynasty, dated 570-526 B.C., under the reign of Amasis II.

It is a shabti (funerary figurine) depicting the Wab priest to the King (his titles include: Royal Chancellor of Lower Egypt, Administrator of the Palace, son of Schepen-Bastet). The figure holds the traditional hoe, pick, and seed-sack.

The head, wearing a braided beard and striated tripartite wig, has a finely modeled face whose eyebrows and cosmetic lines are illustrated through relief. The faience body is embossed with eight lines of inscription.

Such shabtis of Neferibresaneith are among the most beautiful ones of the Late Period. The piece is made entirely from faience, a notable ancient Egyptian material.

The tomb of Neferibresaneith was found at Saqqara, south of the funerary complex of King Userkaf, in 1929, and was fully excavated in the late 1940s. In all, 366 shabtis were found, most of them resting on the lid of the stone sarcophagus under the carbonized wood box.

More information about the ancient Egyptian shabti of Neferibresaneith can be found at the Merrin Gallery.

Update: Another parallel acquisition of an ancient Egyptian artwork by the Merrin Gallery.

Samuel Merrin and the Gallery

To formally introduce, Samuel Merrin is the president and owner of The Merrin Gallery, Inc. Established in 1987, and while incorporated that year, it is a second-generation ancient art business founded by Sam's father, Edward Merrin in the mid-1960s. This came at a time when Ed started acquiring and selling pre-Columbian art—becoming an expert in the field.

Samuel formally took over the gallery in 1999 and has been involved with ancient art his entire life. As a child, Sam frequently visited his father’s gallery, and worked there over many summer vacations. He was fascinated by the beauty and telling history of the objects that he would handle. Inspired, Samuel received a BA from Tufts University, worked at The Cloisters museum and interned at 'the Met' in NYC.

Today, Sam Merrin is asked to give appraisals for identifying major pre-Columbian art and other ancient works—in terms of authenticity and value—for museum exhibitions, auction houses, dealers and other institutions. Sam has coordinated several major exhibitions, and published accompanying catalogues of objects for sale. He has been featured in several newspapers, art magazines, and TV programs for his antiquity know-how.

Samuel's expertise has been sought after for many major collections in America and Europe, where clients of the Merrin Gallery include leading museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum in London and the Middle East, as well as many others.

This blog aims to illuminate some of this work surrounding ancient art, as well as giving casual information for collectors and enthusiasts. We hope you will find it helpful and informative, and if you have any questions, then please leave a comment below, or the Merrin Gallery's Facebook page.