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LOT 0527
Greek Corinthian Terracotta Alabastron
ARCHAIC PERIOD, CIRCA 600-575 B.B.
3 in. (48.3 grams, 74 mm).
Ovoid body, short neck, disc-shaped rim, a vestigial handle with suspension hole, decorated with linear motifs such as tongues, lines and dots, all organised in zones. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a Sussex, UK, gentleman.
LiteratureCf. a similar Etrusco-Corinthian alabastron in Princeton University Art Museum, inv. no.y1959-23.
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:
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Etruscan Amber Head Pendant
Etruria, 5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,210
Carved from translucent red-brown amber as a profile head with stylised Archaic features, large almond eye beneath a defined brow ridge, a softly smiling mouth, and carefully delineated hair arranged in striated bands sweeping back from the face; a drilled perforation at the crown indicates its original function as a suspended ornament; accompanied by a display stand. 23 grams, 50 mm (242 grams total, 81 mm including stand)
Sotheby's, London, 14-15 December 1981, no.206. American private collection; acquired at the above sale. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13329-257968.
Amber was a prestigious imported material in Etruria, highly prized for its rarity, colour, and perceived apotropaic power. From the late 6th century B.C. onwards, figured amber pendants appear in elite tombs, particularly those of women, reflecting both personal identity and a protective role within funerary belief systems. The prominent, wide-open eye here may have served as a talismanic motif, thought to ward off malign forces and ensure the wearer’s vigilance and well-being in life and beyond the grave. This piece reflects the distinctive aesthetic of Etruscan amber carving, in which Mediterranean influences are reinterpreted with a locally expressive sculptural style. -
Very Large Greek Apulian Terracotta Lekanis Lid with Ladies of Fashion
South Italian, circa 5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Composed of a domed body with an inverted rim and a knop handle; the body decorated with two heads of ladies of fashion, palmettes between, waveband around the rim; repaired. 729 grams, 22 cm wide
From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Greek Terracotta Oil Lamp with Annulets
Hellenistic, 3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Low profile and a long nozzle, the body with annulets on the shoulder and two projecting lugs on each side of the nozzle. 49.3 grams, 81 mm
From an important collection of lamps, Germany, 1970s.
