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LOT 1396
Bactrian Lapis Lazuli Recumbent Bull with Inlaid Eyes
3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.
1 3/4 in. (27.1 grams, 45 mm).
Carved in the round as a bull with curved tail forming the suspension lug, recessed sockets for eyes with inset turquoise beads; repaired.
Provenancewith Gallery Rosen Ancient Art, Tel Aviv, 1968.
with a London, UK gallery, 1971-early 2000s.
Accompanied by a copy of the original 1968 invoice.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
See Rice, M., Power of the Bull, London, 1997, for discussion on ancient bull cults.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1396
Bactrian Lapis Lazuli Recumbent Bull with Inlaid Eyes
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
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Western Asiatic Gold Pendant with Cabochons
Late 1st millennium B.C.-early 1st millennium A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Comprising three circular bezels above a rhomboid bezel, loop above and below with mounting bar to the reverse; each bezel with radiating granule clusters, the central bezel set with a turquoise and the other three with garnets; the upper garnet a re-used bead. 4.88 grams, 34 mm
Ex property of a late Japanese collector, 1970-2000s. Accompanied by a dealer's information card. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Old Babylonian Terracotta Astarte Figure
19th-16th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Standing nude with arms folded across the midriff; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 59 grams total, 11.5 cm high including stand
Audrey Davies, Astarte Gallery, London, UK, 1986. Ex private UK collection. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Sumerian Limestone Bull Head Protome
3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £25,350
With large eyes, the pupils inlaid in black chlorite, bone insert for the sclerae, three arching grooved brows, the wide muzzle with a horizontal incision between the nostrils, closed mouth; sockets to the sides of the head to accept separately made horns and ears; the edge of the neck contoured for attachment; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 1.24 kg total, 14.5 cm high including stand
Private European collection, 1985. with Christie’s, New York, 3 June 2009, no.35. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12358-226703. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
In Sumerian mythology, the bull was associated with the storm and rain god Hadad (Iškur), and is widely represented on artworks (Woolley, 1961, pp.46, 52; Kramer, 1979, figs.17, 18, 22). The round inlaid eyes are typical of Sumerian art of Early Dynastic Period, as well as the triple eyebrows.
