By order of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, Sotheby's will sell the celebrated collection from historic homes Alnwick Castle and Syon House on July 9 in London.
 The statue's head was previously thought to have been from a later work, but has been proved original by the existence of a twin |
The sale comes as part of Sotheby's Treasures auction, with 17 'masterworks' from the Northumberland collection set to lead bids.
A monumental Roman statue of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, will be the overall highlight of the auction will a £4m-6m ($6.7m-10.1m) estimate. Purchased by the 1st Duke of Northumberland in 1773, the piece once stood in the Palazzo Cesi in Rome.
The head of the statue was previously thought to have been a later addition to the 430-420 BC statue, but a twin was discovered near Naples in 2005, providing that it is original to the body.
 The Stanwick Commode is accompanied by a letter which shows the earliest reference to a mahogany chest of draw using the modern French term 'commode' |
Furniture highlights include the Stanwick Commode, which is estimated at £800,000-1.2m. An exceptional, marble-topped piece, it was made circa 1740 after a design by the renowned William Kent, and was originally produced for the Yorkshire estate of Stanwick Park.
With items of international renown occupying much of the sale's top lots, the Alnwick Castle enamels will sell with an identical estimate to the commode. Originating from 1530, these are the earliest examples of painting enamel on copper to depict a secular scene.
Also featuring is a wonderful selection of hardstone mounted cabinets, which were acquired by the 1st Duke and Duchess of Northumberland on their grand tour of Italy in 1773.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has an exceptional collection of English antique furniture to fill your home.
