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LOT 0486
Greek Bronze Signet Ring
CIRCA 4TH-2ND CENTURY B.C.
7/8 in. (2.89 grams, 23.01 mm overall, 19.79 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)).
With a D-section hoop, large rounded bezel with a geometric motif. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceProperty of a UK gentleman, acquired 20 November 1981.
Property of an East Sussex, UK, gentleman.
Accompanied by an old handwritten identification ticket.
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AUCTIONS:
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Greek Terracotta Protome Mask
Late 6th-early 5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Modelled as a female head with rounded oval face, slightly bulging eyes and pronounced chin, indistinct smiling mouth with thin lips, outline of ears; low straight polos with fastening hole. 142 grams, 13 cm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.
The figure belongs to a common type known from mainland Greece and the islands. The head clearly shows the so-called 'Archaic smile' visible on the dedicatory protomes of the same typology. They were terracotta votive offerings attached with a nail to the shrine of a goddess for ex-voto or to receive the grace of the represented goddess (Demeter?). -
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Nuragic Bronze Head of a Tribal Chief
Circa 8th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
The head covered by a small low-top cap; sharp and pronounced nose, prominent eyebrows and eyes, small swollen mouth; the hair divided into two braids; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 55.8 grams total, 91 mm including stand
Ex Frank Sternberg collection, Zürich, Switzerland, circa 1980-1985. Property of an East Sussex, UK, private collector.
Despite being stylised representations, these bronzes detail the material culture of warriors, tribal leaders, priests, athletes, men and women of the late Bronze Age and Iron Age Sardinian society. -
Cypriot Redware Cup with Wishbone Handle
1450-1200 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Cup or bowl of spherical shape, unpainted, fitted with a wishbone handle. 96 grams, 14 cm
Ex P.A., Hertfordshire, UK, specialist collection of Greek art, 1980-1990s.
The presence of Achaeans in Cyprus, in late Cypriot II, also significantly influenced the life of the island from a ceramic production point of view. The social changes and new habits that developed among the elites of the main urban centres of the island included elaborate funerary displays, a means through which the emerging elite could express its identity and differentiate itself from other social groups. The ceramic forms were often cups intended for elaborate libation rituals, symposia, or ceremonies equivalent to Near Eastern marzeah, during which drinking services including kraters for mixing wine, cups and jugs were used. Alongside the more elaborate Achaean pottery, local Cypriot pottery (white-slip and base-ring) was still in use.
