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LOT 0514
Graeco-Persian Agate Scaraboid with Recumbent Zebu
LATE 4TH-3RD CENTURY B.C.
5/8 in. (1.83 grams, 15 mm).
Engraved to the underside with a reclining zebu facing right with short protruding horns and a pointed ear; smooth, curved top and a narrow longitudinal perforation.
Provenancewith Herbert A. Cahn, Basel, 1990s.
Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00075367.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Cf. Boardman, J., Greek Gems and Finger Rings, Early Bronze Age to Late Classical, London, 1970 (2001), nos.985, for the type.
FootnotesThe body, head and joints are rendered in the “globolo” drilling technique, in which circular recesses of different sizes are carved into the stone, whilst fine cuts are used to depict the horns, ear and tail. In the Achaemenid period, ‘globolo’ style visible on some gemstones, mainly with animal motifs, developed in Syria-Phoenicia, but the gems did not carry specific Persian motifs, except perhaps this series with a zebu bull.
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Cypriot Head of a Youth with a Floral Crown
Late Archaic, late 6th-early 5th century B.C.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £360
Modelled in three-quarter view, limestone face of a youth with almond-shaped eyes with broad upper lids under a flat brow; eyeballs contoured by a fine outer groove and lips with the 'archaic' smile; rosette wreath over spiral-shaped, voluminous curls framing the forehead; the surface abraded and some curls lost; reverse trimmed and smoothed at an angle; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 958 grams total, 24.6 cm including stand
Jean-Louis Debauve (1926-2016). with Jean Renaud Geoffroy & Yves Becquet Auction, Paris, 16 November 2018, no.225. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
The head probably originally belonged to one of the votive statuettes, mostly hewn from limestone, which are frequently documented for the Cypriot region at this period. -
Etruscan Brownware Impasto Vase
8th-7th century B.C.Estimate: £600 - 800 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £300
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Ex private Mister X. (1931-2017) collection. Sold in the benefit of the 'Croix-Rouge of Monaco'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
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Graeco-Persian Chalcedony Stamp Seal with Striding Boar
5th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Plano-convex seal with incuse boar image; Bivar notes in his description: 'Boar, charging to the left. The convexity of the bezel surface is rather untypical. The stone may have been resurfaced. Probably 5th to 4th century B.C.'; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 7.09 grams, 25.3 mm
UK private collection, acquired 1980-1983. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note typed and signed by A.D.H. (David) Bivar. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12520-230315. 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.
