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LOT 0607
Greek Inscribed Lead Slingshot
4TH CENTURY B.C.
1 1/4 in. (35.8 grams, 30 mm).
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved legend 'ΦΙΛ[.]VOC (PHILIPPOS)'. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the German art market before 2000.
Private collection, Munich, Germany.
Cf. Manov, M., Torbov, N., 'Inscribed Lead Sling Bullets with the name of Alexander the Great and with other names and symbols found in Thrace' in Archaeologia Bulgarica, XX, 2, pp.29-43, figs.1ff, for similar.
FootnotesThe leaden bullets, thrown with slings, were called in Greek molivdainai (μολύβδαιναι), and in Latin glandes; the former indicating the material ‘lead’, the latter the shape ‘acorns’. These bullets were cast in a mould and bore letters or devices, or both, on two sides or only on one. In form, they were more like an almond than an acorn, but many are pointed at both ends.
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AUCTIONS:
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Greek Terracotta Face of a Gorgoneion
6th-5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,040
With large eyes and applied pupils, accentuated nose and open mouth with protruding tongue, hair indicated with regularly disposed lines; repaired, western Greek workmanship; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 142 grams total, 15.5 cm including stand
Ex Mr M.Q.F, Horgen, Switzerland, 1971. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland.
A Gorgoneion was a protective symbol in ancient Greek art that depicts the head of the Gorgon, a mythical creature with snakes for hair and a terrifying gaze that could turn people to stone. The Gorgoneion was believed to have the power to ward off evil and protect the person who wore it or displayed it. The image of the Gorgoneion was often used as an apotropaic symbol to ward off evil or bad luck. It was often depicted on shields, armour, or even as an architectural feature on buildings. The symbol was also sometimes used in jewellery, such as amulets or pendants, and was believed to bring good luck and protection to the wearer. The most famous depiction of the Gorgoneion is probably the one on the aegis of the goddess Athena. -
Greek Red-Figure Lekythos with Eros
Attic, circa 4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £975
With flared foot, waisted neck and everted rim, strap handle to the rear; painted with a scene of winged Eros in flight above a baseline, with frond. 106 grams, 10.9 cm
Property of a private Rutland, UK, collector, formed from at least from the 1990s. -
Gnathian Plastic Vase in the Shape of a Woman
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,540
Hollow-formed with broad chamfered base, body modelled as the head of a woman supporting the neck in the form of a trefoil oinochoe with a high, curving handle to the rear; moulded head with detailed swept hair wrapped in a cloth (sakkos), and stern facial features; circumferential painted band beneath the rim and vertical strokes; supplied with a custom-made stand. 1.34 kg total, 31 cm high excluding stand
Acquired from Galerie Simone de Monbrison, Rue Bonaparte, Paris, France, 1980. Accompanied by a thermoluminescence analysis report no.N125e36 from Oxford Authentication. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.150924, dated 19 December 2013. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12666-234641.
