Loading, please wait...
LOT 0232
Large Kushan Gold Pendant with Bust of a Goddess
CIRCA 4TH CENTURY A.D.
2 3/4 in. (22.11 grams, 71 mm).
A late Kushan or Hephthalites Dynasty discoid pendant with a female deity, possibly Nana, at the centre holding a lotus flower in her right hand, hair elaborately dressed and wearing large earrings, necklace and bracelets; enclosed by a border of stylised bull heads and a double-plaited border, the outer edge with raised bosses; later applied polygonal suspension loop with granulated collars and an oval garnet cabochon.
ProvenanceAcquired by a Swiss family in the mid-1980s to late 1990s, thence by descent.
Private collection, Switzerland, since the late 1990s.
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 number no.13021-246776.
Cf. Academy of the Science, Painting of ancient Panjikent, (in Russian), Moscow, 1954, figs. 11,12, esp.18; Madhuvanti, G., ‘Nana: the ‘Original’ Goddess of the Lion’ in Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology, volume 1, 2006, pp.98-112; Saadi-Nejad, M., ‘The Goddess Nana and the Kušan Empire: Mesopotamian and the Iranian Traces’ in Acta via Serica, Vol.4, no.2, December 2019, pp.129-140.
FootnotesNana (Kushan Greek: Νανα, Ναναια, Ναναϸαο, Sogdian Nni) was a Bactrian female deity, a variation of the pan-Asian Nana, a fusion of the Sumero-Babylonian Inanna-Ishtar with a local deity, in her Kushan form with the local (Zoroastrian) Harakhvati Aredvi Sura Anahita. Such syncretism was common among Kušan deities. She was an important patron deity in the Kushan Empire and the most important deity worshipped by Emperor Kaniška (c. 127-150 A.D.).
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.
-
Mesopotamian Steatite Bowl with Animals and Palm Trees
3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £10,400
Drum-shaped steatite vessel with broad flat rim; low-relief frieze to the outer face: dense vegetation panels with hatched treetrunks and fronds, resting quadrupeds, each with the legs folded beneath the body. 5.3 kg, 24.5 cm wide
Acquired by a Swiss family in the mid-1980s to late 1990s, thence by descent. Private collection, Switzerland, since the late 1990s. 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 number no.13026-246787.
In Mesopotamia ancient stone-carvers produced a variety of vessels from soft soapstone (steatite) and pale yellow alabaster, along with jewellery. They include cylindrical boxes, cups, high open-rim vases and a few globular jars. Among it the most prominent products were the cups with tall, slender stalks, apparently intended for religious purposes. The repertoire of motifs of the ‘Intercultural Style’ includes vegetal, architectural, and abstract or naturalistic representations of people and animals, depicted in a carved and inlaid technique. -
Mesopotamian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Small rectangular tablet with impressed text on four sides. 24.1 grams, 37 mm
Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. Thence by descent to family members. Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. -
Amlash Bronze Fertility Figure with Baby
13th-12th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £819
Formed as a standing figure cradling an infant; stylised facial and anatomical detailing; openwork cage structure and suspension loop to the reverse of the head. 58.6 grams, 91 mm
Ex Samuel Dubiner (1914-1993), Canada, a prominent businessman, arts patron, and one of the world's most distinguished collectors of Bronze Age and Iron Age Iranian art, including Amlash material. Acquired by the current owner from the above, circa 1985-1995.
