Helios Gallery Antiquities - About us

The Partners

About us - Helios Gallery is a partnership owned by Rolf von Kiaer and Samantha Neal

Helios Gallery specialises in the ethical sourcing of provenanced Egyptian, Classical and Mediterranean antiquities and adhere to responsible trading policies which protect the global archaeological heritage.
 

Our website is updated weekly, please click New Items to view our recent acquisitions or click on the catalogue pages to browse over 500 unique antiquities for sale.

The background

We started trading in antiquities in 1989 but it was not until 1994 that we opened a shop at 292 Westbourne Grove in London's Notting Hill. At the time the area was vibrant, arty and bohemian but it was only a couple of miles from the established antiques galleries of Mayfair and St. James' and seemed an eternity from their somewhat stuffy traditions.

During eleven years in Westbourne Grove we built a reputation for honest, no-nonsense dealing in a relaxed atmosphere where novices, collectors, artists and academics could meet over a cup of coffee. The shop received acclaim from a wide range of publications including The Financial Times and World of Interiors but our finest achievement must be that many of our first clients still buy from us today.

The 1990's also saw the opening of a smaller outlet in the World Heritage Site city of Bath and the launch of our first website. By 2005 Helios Gallery had been established on the internet for nine years and we decided it was time to become a totally web-based dealership.

This transition freed us from the financial and time constraints of shop-keeping and allowed us to return to our founding interests: the thrill of acquiring and researching new stock, and bringing the items to a clientele from all walks of life who share our interests.

It was during archaeology studies in London that Rolf and Sam met. Sam's redundancy from a job a year later led them to think of starting a small business and so Helios Gallery was born. The business started on a cold dark April morning with a folding table in London's Portobello Road antiques market. 

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Puss and Pod

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Helios Gallery Antiquities - About us

Rolf von Kiaer

Rolf's interest in archaeology was stirred at the age of just six when he swapped his pocket money for ancient coins with an antiques dealer on the King's Road in London. When his diplomat parents moved to Baghdad in the late 1970's the vibrant history and culture of the Middle East awakened an overwhelming interest in the region. By the age of eighteen Rolf had learnt to read Arabic and left school with the top prize in Classics and a place to study Mesopotamian archaeology at The Institute of Archaeology, London.

Helios Gallery Antiquities - Sam Neal

Sam Neal

Sam's fascination with archaeology and anthropology derives from a childhood spent in Africa and South East Asia and years travelling for work and pleasure.

Her main interest is in Pre-Classical Mediterranean pottery which she seeks to understand by conventional research as well as more hands-on methods such as recreating ancient techniques in contemporary pottery-making.

Sam built and runs the Helios Gallery website, she is also the resident internet and graphic designer, photographer and administrator.                                        

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