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LOT 0397
Ancient Style Sapphire Gemstone with Head of Medusa
18TH-19TH CENTURY A.D.
1/8 in. (0.37 grams, 6 mm).
Incuse gorgoneion with writhing snakes.
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market.
Private collection, England.
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AUCTIONS:
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Bronze Anthropomorphic Clothed Ancestral Effigy
Siberia, circa 17th-18th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
Anthropomorphic figure (ittarma) with low-relief facial features, radiating beard, raised rim, bronze lantern-shaped pendant on cord around the neck; outer garment a sleeved coat in silken textile with open front; beneath, a fabric undergarment. 105 grams, 14.8 cm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
Such effigies, called itterma or ittarma are regarded as a temporary vessel for the soul of a deceased person. They were intended to maintain contact between the surviving descendants and the spirit world. -
Post Medieval Silver Figure in Medieval Dress
Circa 19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Bell-shaped in profile with flared floor-length skirt, hands held at the waist inside bell sleeves. 13.4 grams, 28 mm
Ex London Coin Fair, 1990s. Ex Buckinghamshire, UK, collection. -
Cylinder Seal Electrotype Group
Late 19th-early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Of academic interest, copper-coated lead seal impressions including presentation scenes, combat scenes, court scenes and others; some with cuneiform text. 250 grams total, 36-46 mm
Possibly made by the British Museum. From a West Country, UK, private collection.
