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LOT 0515
Greek Bronze Bird Pendant
GEOMETRIC PERIOD, 8TH-7TH CENTURY B.C.
1 3/8 in. (14.7 grams, 35 mm).
Modelled in the round with a long beak and splayed, short legs, pierced through the upper body. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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Greek Terracotta Spindle Flask
Hellenistic, late 2nd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
With long narrow neck developing to a fusiform body and flared foot. 72 grams, 12 cm
From the collection of a Cambridge, UK, gentleman, by direct descent from his father, who acquired the items in London in circa 1960. -
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Eastern Greek Carnelian Scaraboid Gemstone with Nude Hero Holding Lions
6th-5th century B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £780
Scaraboid type with incuse design to the underside of a nude hero facing, holding one lion by the neck and another by the hind leg; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 4.25 grams, 19 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
The gem could be considered a representation of Heracles, even if the iconography is unusual, and is influenced by the Mesopotamian environment, from where it borrows the frontal image of the hero (Gilgamesh or Enkidu) fighting with two beasts. The hero is beardless and holding an inverted lion. He is acting like a master of the animals, showing eastern traits reminiscent of Graeco-Phoenician art. In the Phoenician tradition, a similar image of the god Bes, holding two lions, as posis theron (‘Master of the Animals’), is common. The type is more frequent in the Eastern Mediterranean than in the West and is found on scarabs in carnelian and chalcedony. -
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'The Mildenberg' Greek Gold Bull's Head Pendant
Circa 4th century B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £2,000
Hollow-formed in sheet gold with finely modelled details and applied granulated wreath between its horns; attachment hole to the rear of the head. 3.05 grams, 21 mm
Christie's, London, 'A Peaceable Kingdom: The Leo Mildenberg Collection', 27 October 2004, no.102. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13359- 259201.
In many Greek sanctuaries, large numbers of bull figures of different sizes have been found, which must be regarded as representatives of actual sacrificial offerings. Many of them come from the venerable Sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona, with whom the bull has a special relationship.
