Loading, please wait...
LOT 0045
Greek Terracotta Citharode
6TH-4TH CENTURY B.C.
3 3/8 in. (62 grams, 86 mm).
D-shaped in section with close-cut hairstyle, standing, holding a cithara supported on the left arm, strumming with the right hand.
ProvenanceEx Shlomo Moussaieff (1925-2015), Israel.
European private collection.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13107-246791.
Cf. Wardle, A., Musical Instruments in the Roman World, London, 1981, figs.66-79, for Graeco-Roman artworks of people playing cithara.
FootnotesThe cithara was the instrument of the ‘virtuosi’, the principal concert instrument of the ancient Greeks. Its sound box was made of wood and was much bigger than that of the lyra. Strips of copper or horn were commonly incorporated into it, which resonated in sympathy with the strings, giving a great breath of sound.
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.
LOT 0045
Greek Terracotta Citharode
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£600 (EUR 696; USD 810) ‡+BP*
-
Large Etruscan Statue of a Priest with Patera
2nd century B.C.Estimate: £18,000 - 24,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £9,000
Modelled in the round standing figure with palla draped over the left shoulder and from the hips, extending to calf-length; the head with aquiline nose and dimpled chin modelled with a wreath of large leaves around the brow forming a corona; exaggerated eyes left blank to accept silver inserts; left arm bent, hand holding an incense-holder with cruciform design; right arm extended at shoulder-height with phiale mesomphalos offering dish; socket beneath left foot and screw-threaded post beneath right, repairs to both lower legs. 1.23 kg, 28.4 cm high
Sotheby's, New York, 17 December 1996, no.79. Private collection, New York, USA. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Sotheby's catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13355-255463.
The figure is probably a devotee or priest of Diana preparing to make ritual observances with the offering plate and incense burner. A group of similar figures was recovered from the shallows of Lake Nemi south of Rome, close to the site of the Temple of Diana. -
'The Metropolitan Museum of Art' Cypriot Limestone Votive Head of a Man
Circa 5th century B.C.Estimate: £700 - 900 (+bp*)
Bids: 4 | Current Bid: £950
Finely carved votive head with almond-shaped eyes and strong nose, lips set to a gentle smile, typical of the Greek kouroi of this period, wearing a conical headdress leaving the ears exposed; set on its original base from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, with item number '163' and three sale labels on the base. 367 grams total, 13.1 cm high including stand
Likely discovered by Luigi Palma di Cesnola in Cyprus, 1860s-70s. Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, likely acquired from the above in 1872. Collection of Ira Martin, New York, acquired from the above on 12 March 1926. with Christie’s, New York, Antiquities, 5 June 1998, no.133. Private collection, thence by descent. -
Italic Silver Wire Fibula
Circa 700-600 B.C.Estimate: £200 - 300 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
With a coiled spring and lateral lugs; tapering shank, and separate ring. 9.11 grams total, 1.8-12.4 cm
Private collection, Switzerland, 1992. Thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.