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LOT 0091
Greek Terracotta Head of a Woman
3RD-2ND CENTURY B.C.
7 1/2 in. (675 grams total, 19 cm high including stand).
With elaborate band of curls to the brow; spout or hole to the rear of the head; mounted on a custom-made display stand with old lot sticker to base.
ProvenancePrivate European collection.
with Genève Enchères, 12th December 2017, lot 861.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11612-199036.
Cf. The British Museum, museum numbers: 1926,0410.7 'Head of terracotta female figure, wearing himation drawn up over head' and 1870,0105.2 'Terracotta female head wearing earrings', for stylistically similar examples.
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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Gold Necklace with Agate Pendant
1st century B.C.-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £7,500
A Graeco-Roman or Phoenician chain of loop-in-loop links and thick suspension ring, gold dome with bands of applied granules capping an egg-shaped banded agate drop. 26.19 grams, 48 cm long
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Important North West London collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11935-210477.
Agate was appreciated in the Greek and Roman world for its magical virtues. A recently found agate gemstone from Imperial-era Anapa, which differs from the other similar agate stones in its spherical shape and large size, was inscribed with a text referring to traditional Greek expulsion rituals against evil and diseases, ending with a list of human head parts similar to the one found in the Hippocratic medical handbook. The gemstone was probably worn not only as an amulet, but also as a miniature handbook with instructions for making amulets. According to Pliny the Elder (NH, XXXVII, 47) a certain type of agate was protected against spiders and scorpions. -
Phoenician Silver Votive Warrior Figure
6th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Sheet-silver figure with horizontal banding to the cloak and tunic, quiver to the left shoulder; old collector's label '8' to the reverse. 5.56 grams, 57 mm
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Important North West London collection. -
Greek Zoomorphic Bronze Hydria Handle Attachment
Circa 5th-4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Modelled as a skinned lion's head with fierce facial detailing; made for soldering to an articulated round handle. 98 grams, 51 mm high
Private collection, Germany, 1980s. Acquired on the UK art market 2010.
The handles were usually shaped as divinities or animals linked with gods (ie. lions for Herakles). A similar specimen can be seen in the Berlin Museum (inv.7491), from Athens.