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LOT 0106
Greek Solid Gold Ring Idol
5TH-4TH MILLENNIUM B.C.
3/4 in. (1.65 grams, 20 mm).
Annular in form with pierced tab.
ProvenancePrivate collection, acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s; thence by descent.
LiteratureCf. Mărgărit M., and Boroneanț, A., Beauty and the eye of Beholder, personal adornment across the millennia, Targoviște, 2020, fig.2p, for a similar gold ‘Ring Idol’ Pendant from Megalo Nisi Galanis.
FootnotesDuring the Greek Neolithic, certain types of ornaments share common morphological characteristics; one such example is the so-called ‘ring-idols’. The prototype of these ring-shaped pendants seems to have been made out of gold, which began to be used during these late phases of the Neolithic in Greece and the Balkans, in general.
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Greek Marble Figure of a Seated God or Philosopher
Hellenistic, 3rd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £7,500
Carved in the round male figure in a seated pose wearing a loosely draped pallium on the shoulders and lower body, legs crossed at the knees; openwork frame to the chair with deep undercuts; mounted on a custom-made stand. 563 grams total, 86 mm high including stand
Formerly in a private collection, London. European private collection, acquired in 2002. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, 8 June 2004. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13210-249309.
The statuette could represent Zeus or Chronos, based on similarities with two statues in the Vatican Museums and two statues in the Thebes Museum. The god is depicted seated, with his torso exposed, and his left hand, which normally holds the sceptre in statues of seated Zeus, is instead stretched out across his legs. -
Villanovan Bronze Horse Bit
Iron Age, circa 8th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
A snaffle bit with a loop at each outer end with ferrous remains and a three-lobed strap junction attached to the straight mouth bars. 280 grams, 26.9 cm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
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Large Phoenician Terracotta Head of a Man
Levant, circa 4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,680
Hollow-formed moulded head with conical cap, band above the brow with curls beneath, high-relief eyebrows and triangular nose, scaphoid protrusive eyes, tiny pursed mouth; collar to the neck with frontal pendant; ellipsoid vent to rear, flared rim to mouth; some loss to lateral edges at ear-level. 1.73 kg, 27.5 cm
with Phillips, London, 6 July 1993, no.127 (part). Private collection, London, UK. Acquired in London, UK, 2006. Accompanied by copies of the original Phillips and 2006 invoices. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13281-254405.
