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LOT 1803
Ethiopian Stamp Seal with King
20TH CENTURY A.D.
4 1/2 in. (138 grams, 11.5 cm high).
The figure with stylised face, the head surmounted by a high crown worn around a cap, possibly depicting a bishop or a king; the body closed within a cloak fastened at the front, a profile portrait to base for use as a seal impression. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceCollected since the 1970s.
Ex Everitt collection, acquired by descent 2017.
Cf. Dubois, J., Roots and Flowerings of Ethiopia’s Traditional Crafts, Addis Ababa, 2008, p.20, for similar carved statuettes.
FootnotesThe small statuette comes probably from the area of Axum, the cradle of Ethiopian Christian civilisation and the place where the tabot of Zion (Ark of the Covenant) is believed to be hidden, containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments God gave Moses. The statuette represents probably a king (possibly King Solomon, ancestor of the Ethiopian Royal Dynasty) or an Ethiopian priest dressed with the crown (Akil) and the Holy Liturgy cloak(qaba).
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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