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LOT 0341
Large Stone Age Pregnant Animal Idol
NEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 6TH-4TH MILLENNIUM B.C. OR LATER
6 1/8 in. (1.66 kg total, 15.5 cm including stand).
Carved in the round with sturdy body, swollen belly and ovoid-section head; mounted on a custom-made 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.
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.12337-224209.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Morris, D., The Art of Ancient Cyprus, Oxford, 1985, figs.108-109, p.119, for similar idols; Various, Idoles, Au commencement etait l’image, A la Reine Margot, 22 Novembre 1990-28 Fevrier 1991, Paris, 1990, figs.10-11, for similar; also see Caldwell, Duncan, The Use of Animals in Birth Protection Rituals and Possible Uses of Stone Figurines from the Central Sahel, 2015 winter issue, vol.48, no.4, Nov., pp.14-25.
FootnotesMost scholars consider these as symbols of the fertility cult and as evidence of the existence of a matriarchal society as a form of organisation of the earliest human society. The people of the Stone Age may have considered figures such as this to represent women and mothers with their life-giving powers, or as depictions of the ancestors.
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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Large Stone Age Pregnant Animal Idol
Neolithic Period, circa 6th-4th millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £845
Carved in the round with sturdy body, swollen belly and ovoid-section head; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.66 kg total, 15.5 cm including stand
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. 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.12337-224209. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Most scholars consider these as symbols of the fertility cult and as evidence of the existence of a matriarchal society as a form of organisation of the earliest human society. The people of the Stone Age may have considered figures such as this to represent women and mothers with their life-giving powers, or as depictions of the ancestors. -
French Stone Age Flaked Axehead from Brecy
Neolithic Period, circa 6,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Lentoid in section with rounded blade. old collector's label 'Brecy'. 154 grams, 12.1 cm
From an old large French collection. Acquired on the European art market. From the private collection of an East Anglian, UK, specialist collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Large Stone Age Barbed and Tanged Arrowhead Collection
Neolithic Period, 6th-4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Comprising mostly bifacial and uniface barbed and taged flint and chert arrowheads; probably from the Sahara region of North Africa. 52 grams total, 33-58 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Similar specimens of arrowheads have been found in the Eastern Sahara Region of Abu Tartur Plateau. Most of the arrowheads came from the El Jarar Neolithic, c. 7700-7300 B.P. (c.6500-6100 B.C.). Other parallels occur in the region of Kharga Oasis.
