Loading, please wait...
LOT 0512
Greek Bronze Bow Fibula
8TH-7TH CENTURY B.C.
3 7/8 in. (93 grams, 99 mm).
Arched bow with a central bulb and ribbed collar, integral pin and large catch-plate. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the family collection of a Surrey gentleman since before 1960.
LiteratureCf. Moon-Ja, K., ‘A study on Ancient Fibulae’ in IJCC, vol.8, no.2, 2005, pp.71-84, fig.3, for the type.
FootnotesThe function of the catch-plate fibulae was utilitarian and decorative, they were used for woollen clothing (Herodotus V, 87) and they have been found in houses, tombs and as votive offerings in sanctuaries. Our fibula is an early type, very often found in the graves of the Greek colonies of Southern Italy and widespread in the Magna Graecia. This typology was introduced there by the Greeks. Like all female fibulae, it functioned as a clothing fastener, usually worn as a pair on each shoulder.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Cypriot Decorated Amphora
700-600 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
Creamware body with broad neck and pear-shaped body, trumpet-shaped base; ribbed strap handles extending to the everted rim; painted with dense zones of concentric black chevrons, rings, and other geometric ornament, red detailing. 1.12 kg, 23.5 cm high
with Christie's, London, 11 July 1990, lot 122. Subsequently in the collection of Dr Takey Crist, Jacksonville, North Carolina. -
Eastern Mediterranean Painted Pottery Bowl with Handles
8th century B.C.Estimate: £600 - 800 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £300
Conical in form with rounded shoulder, everted rim and two round-section handles; painted with concentric bands around the inner and outer faces. 243 grams, 15.5 cm wide
Acquired in Europe before 1992. European collection. -
Greek Bronze Bow Brooch
8th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Deeply arched bow with a central barrel-shaped extension, integral pin and rectangular footplate. 46.8 grams, 60 mm
From the family collection of a Surrey gentleman since before 1960.
The distinctive form of this fibula seems to be an Italic variant of characteristic Geometric period examples from Thessaly that have been discovered in large numbers, for example in the sanctuary of Zeus Thaulios near Pharos. It belongs to the category of Greek catch plate brooches, although the rectangular footplate is substantially reduced than the Greek prototypes, and the two grooves on the bow are narrower than the continental Greek ones.
