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LOT 0363
Iron Age Celtic Sandstone Head
2ND CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
14 1/2 in. (10.65 kg total, 37 cm including stand).
Irregular D-shaped head with reserved 'cap', almond-shaped eyes and slit mouth; pierced vertically from the D-shaped socket at the chin to the top of the head; possibly part of a furnace vent; mounted on a custom-made display stand. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Cf. Jackson, S., Celtic and Other Stone Heads, Shipley, 1973, item 56, for type.
FootnotesThe cult of the human head was prevalent in the Celtic world, being associated with warding-off evil spirits and bearing of good luck.
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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Iron Age Celtic Bronze Boar
Circa 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
An exceptional figurine depicting a standing male boar with incised bristles; large head with prominent tusks and pricked ears, erect tail with large testes below; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 57 grams total, 47 mm including stand
Found Dorset, UK, in the 1980s. From Alexander Cotton collection of Celtic art, circa 1985. -
Iron Age Celtic Bronze Strap Junction with Animal Face
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Modelled in the half-round, stylized features, possibly a lion. 20.1 grams, 44 mm
‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.
Such strap dividers are thought to date to the late Iron Age, to the late 1st century BC or early 1st century AD. They were used from Celts and Romans (or from the Celt Auxiliaries inside the Roman Army) for horse harness and also by the Essedarii (chariot fighters of Celtic origins) for the horses of their chariots in the Roman Circuses. -
Iron Age Celtic Bronze Votive Altar with Bull's Head
Circa 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Hollow-formed, trapezoidal in plan with three attachment holes above the thickened rim, three stub feet; broad face with pelletted bands to the edges, high-relief bull's head with fur detailing and whorl to the brow, curved horns. 140 grams, 68 mm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
