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_900x900.jpg "Archaic Greek Bronze Statuette of a Coiled and Rearing Snake")
_200x200.jpg "Archaic Greek Bronze Statuette of a Coiled and Rearing Snake")
.jpg "Archaic Greek Bronze Statuette of a Coiled and Rearing Snake")
LOT 0531
Archaic Greek Bronze Statuette of a Coiled and Rearing Snake
ARCHAIC, 6TH-5TH CENTURY B.C.
4 1/4 in. (312 grams, 11 cm).
Modelled in the round with coiled body and rearing head, barbed fin to the forehead, punched annulet texturing on the body.
ProvenancePrivate collection, Neuchâtel, Switzerland, assembled in the 1980s.
Acquired in 1995 by a European private collector.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12856-241689.
See Dallas Museum of Art, object number 1969.7.
FootnotesSnakes were important symbols in ancient Greek culture and were often linked with protection, healing, and renewal. Because they shed their skin, they were seen as a sign of rebirth and new life. They were also connected with gods and spirits of the earth and underworld, and in some cases were thought to protect the home or sacred places. In Greek art, a snake could therefore carry both religious and symbolic meaning.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0531
Archaic Greek Bronze Statuette of a Coiled and Rearing Snake
Estimate £5,000 - 7,000€5,800 - 8,120 (for guidance only)$6,750 - 9,450 (for guidance only)
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Greek Inscribed Bone Plaque
Late 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
A leaf-shaped plaque with a Greek inscription 'HPAKΛEIΔ [E] Σ EI' [possibly = of Heracleides]. 3.24 grams, 48 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Daunian Ceramic Bell-Shaped Idol
7th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
A male figure with a bell-shaped lower body painted with horizontal stripes, an applied phallus above; column-like upper body and head with stylised facial features, tall conical headdress. 140 grams, 12.5 cm
Private collection of Mrs R.K., Basel, Switzerland. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. -
Phoenician Terracotta Bulla with a Dolphin
5th century B.C.Estimate: £120 - 170 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £67
Plano-convex in profile with impressed dolphin and legend. 1.05 grams, 17.71 mm
Acquired in 1994. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
This Phoenician terracotta bulla, decorated with a dolphin, reflects the strong maritime identity of the Phoenician world. Bullae were typically used to seal documents or goods, serving both a practical and symbolic function in trade and administration. The dolphin, a creature closely associated with the sea, would have held particular meaning for the Phoenicians, whose culture and prosperity were deeply tied to seafaring and commerce across the Mediterranean. Often seen as a symbol of protection, guidance, and safe passage, the dolphin adds an additional layer of meaning to the object, suggesting not only its use in everyday transactions but also a connection to the wider beliefs and environment of the ancient coastal world.
