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LOT 1349
Early Bronze Age Silver Idol
CIRCA 2400-2100 B.C.
2 1/2 in. (5.34 grams, 62 mm).
Violin-shaped with round body, long neck and stylised head, symbolising a female body, perforated with two holes at the top representing the eyes, embossed with dots around the perimeter.
ProvenanceFrom a private family collection formed since the early 19th century, thence by descent.
Property of a New Zealand legal professional.
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.12321-223719.
Cf. for similar idols but in stone and clay, Bilgi, Ö., Anthropomorphic Representations in Anatolia before the Classical Age, Istanbul, 2014, figs. 792-800; for metallic idols of very similar (although not completely identical) shape cf. Zimmermann, T., ‘Anatolia and the Balkans, once again, ring-shaped idols from Western Asia and a critical reassessment of some ‘Early Bronze Age items from Ikiztepe, Turkey’ in Oxford Journal of Archaeology, January, 2007, pp.25-32; Atakuman, Ç., ‘Figurines of the Anatolian Early Bronze Age: the assemblage from Koçumbeli-Ankara’ in Anatolian Studies, 67, 2017, pp.85-108.
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
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Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
The middle section of a pillowform tablet with cuneiform text on both sides. 70 grams, 57 mm
Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. Thence by descent to family members. Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. -
Anatolian Black Steatite Gemstone in Gold Ring
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Discoid plano-convex stamp-seal with transverse piercing, incuse profile image of an ibex with angular motif below the flank; set into a later sympathetic gold swivel ring; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 8.66 grams, 31.12 mm overall, 19.63 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.49, Japan 16)
with Gorny and Mosch, Munich, 12 December 2019, no.657 (Part). Private collection, England. -
Neo-Assyrian Stone Relief with Standing Figure
9th-8th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
Corner fragment from a high-relief pictorial panel with raised border; domed dais with low-relief scaled detailing; lower legs and sandaled feet in advancing pose with ankle-length open-fronted robe, horizontal woven texture and curled fleece; high-relief stele with flared base, bulbous upper and sugar-loaf finial; pitted surface, with tooling to reverse. 2.81 kg, 24.3 cm
Ex German collection, c.1980. with Toufic Arakji, Hamburg, 1997. 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 no.12579-232134.
Stylistically, the figure seems to be linked to the kingdom of Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 B.C.) or his son Shalmaneser III (858-824 B.C.). The exposed lower leg with exaggerated musculature is seen in many Assyrian and Babylonian depictions of divine and heroic figures. The position of the figure, corresponding to some reliefs kept in the Louvre, where a spirit is worshipping a poppy flower (Houston, 1954, pl.V.1), and the high-relief carving, strongly refer to a cult scene.
