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LOT 0083
Eastern Greek Scaraboid Gemstone with Gryphon
4TH-2ND CENTURY B.C. OR LATER
1/2 in. (1.24 grams, 13 mm).
Scaraboid type with incuse design to the underside of a winged gryphon with one foreleg raised; supplied with a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
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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Large Greek Bronze Ring with Leaping Lion
Hellenistic, circa 2nd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Comprising a slender hoop and a thick oval bezel with a stylised lion motif. 5.50 grams, 26.35 mm overall, 20.90 mm internal diameter (approximate size British V 1/2, USA 10 3/4, Europe 24.4, Japan 23)
From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Greek Terracotta Citharode
6th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £600
D-shaped in section with close-cut hairstyle, standing, holding a cithara supported on the left arm, strumming with the right hand. 62 grams, 86 mm
Ex Shlomo Moussaieff (1925-2015), Israel. European private collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13107-246791.
The cithara was the instrument of the ‘virtuosi’, the principal concert instrument of the ancient Greeks. Its sound box was made of wood and was much bigger than that of the lyra. Strips of copper or horn were commonly incorporated into it, which resonated in sympathy with the strings, giving a great breath of sound. -
Greek Terracotta Rhyton of a Goddess
3rd-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
With flanged and stepped rim, tapering curved body, figural finial of the goddess with diadem; bands of red and cream geometric detail to the rim and upper body, red wave patterns to the inner face; the goddess modelled with carefully dressed hair and floral diadem, ringlets cascading to her collar bone, alert facial expression with almond-shaped eyes and prominent nose, with C-shaped billetted collar and chiton, cupping her left breast in her right hand; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.25 kg, 24 cm
Private collection, London, UK; formed 1970s-1980s. 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.13312-258233.
It is challenging to identify the divinity represented on our vessel: it can be associated with Ariadne, wife of the god Dionysus, but also with a Parthian goddess such as Anahita. She was a Zoroastrian goddess associated with water, fertility, and wisdom, widely venerated across the Parthian Empire and often invoked alongside Ahura Mazda in royal and religious inscriptions. Rhyta in her likeness, typically terminating in a zoomorphic or divine protome, were used as ceremonial drinking vessels, reflecting Anahita's close association with libation and purification rites.
