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Details
LOT 1474
Neo Assyrian Haematite Pazuzu Head
8TH-7TH CENTURY B.C.
1 in. (16.2 grams, 24 mm).
Modelled in the round with grotesque features and fierce teeth exposed; drilled through the head for suspension.
Provenance
UK private collection before 2000.
Acquired on the UK art market.
Property of a London gentleman.
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.
Literature
See British Museum, Splendours of Mesopotamia, London, 2011, p.203, cat.180, for type.
Footnotes
In Babylonian mythology the demon Pazuzu was the son of the god Hanpa. His consort, the demon Lamaštu, carried fever and preyed upon children and pregnant women. She could be neutralised with appropriate spells and amulets, which also protected against other demons. For this reason, women wore an amulet with the effigy of Pazuzu around their necks during pregnancy.
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