Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1481
Luristan Bronze Tanged Dirk
CIRCA 1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
15 in. (192 grams, 38.3 cm).
Comprising a slender triangular blade with a raised midrib and a short rectangular-section pierced tang.
Provenance
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
Literature
Cf. Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 2, London, 2004, item 40, p.36.
Footnotes
The Luri people produced a quantity of fine metalwork, which according to Dr. Khorasani, could be due to a settled period which arose as a result of the defeat of the Elamites by the Babylonians, leaving the Luristani people in relative peace for a period of time after 1200 B.C. According to Khorasani, 'A culture of innovation and experimentation flourished, and the repertoire of the Luristan smiths expanded in the period between 1150–1050 BC.'
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Western Asiatic Carnelian Amuletic Pendant
13th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Hexagonal in section, pierced longitudinally; incised hatching to two adjacent faces. 4.13 grams, 25 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Large Neo-Babylonian Chalcedony Stamp Seal with King
Circa 7th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Standing robed figure in profile with hands raised towards a stepped dais with vertical stems. 22.04 grams, 31.72 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Bull Rider
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £278
Showing a man on a standing bull, grabbing the hair of a captive with his right hand. 84 grams, 51 mm high
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The statuette can represent the god storm Hazor, a storm deity with lunar traits. The association between a bull and storm deities is well known on Anatolian sealings from 20th-19th century B.C. The portrayal of a god standing on a bull in conjunction with lunar symbols derived from Old Babylonian cult, where the bull was connected with the Moon as a goddess, and continued in the Near East in association with the god Hazor, identified with El, head of the Canaanite pantheon.