Graeco-Roman Silver Votive Figure of Pallas Athena

Capsule-shaped with a blue body and yellow marvered trails and zigzags, cylindrical neck and flange rim, white knop handles to the shoulder; restored. 80 grams, 14 cm high

Fine condition; restored.

Paris collection, 1990s. From an important Paris gallery, France. Ex private Parisian collection.

With elongated face and large almond-shaped eyes; braided hair with openwork topknot and socket to accept an inset stud, gathered at the rear in a chignon. 639 grams, 11.6 cm



Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private Swiss collection since 1998. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11611-199026.

Several female figures, found in the Parthian graves of Babylonia, are represented in loose attire exhibiting unusual headdresses, which give us some notion of the costume of the period. Some of them show a headgear rising into two tall conical peaks, from which a veil is suspended. Nude female figures, probably representing Assyrian Mylitta or Venus, were extremely common during the Parthian period, having been handed down from antiquity. Similar figures are universal throughout the east before the Christian era.

With everted flaring rim, the exterior plain, the interior with ridged band at the shoulder composed of alternating X-motifs, stylised opposing plants, and dots interspersed with transverse bands. 222 grams, 18.5 cm wide



From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s.

Similar segment-shaped silver bowls with partial gilding, decorated on the inside with friezes in the form of garlands or wickerwork, have been found in many nomad mounds in the Caucasus region. Treister attributes them to Parthian workshops. Such cups could also be undecorated or decorated only with a frieze of Ionian cymatium along the edge.