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LOT 0275
Old Babylonian Tall Copper Statuette of a Priest
CIRCA 1894-1595 B.C.
8 1/8 in. (540 grams total, 20.5 cm including stand).
Modelled in the round standing figure wearing a floor-length robe; the head surmounted by a pillbox hat with thick shoulder-length hair to the rear, prominent triangular nose flanked by incised lentoid eyes, thick lips and a strong segmented bead; the arms bent forwards at the elbow to support a dish or patera; ellipsoid-section body and D-shaped flange for the feet; small lug to the underside; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceMoussaieff collection, Israel, formed from 1948.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13287-251143.
Cf. Aruz, J., Art of the First Cities. The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus, New York, 2003, item 11(b) for type, 24(a); Harper et al., The Royal City of Susa: Ancient Near Eastern Treasures in the Louvre, New York, 1992, items 89,90.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0275
Old Babylonian Tall Copper Statuette of a Priest
Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,980
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Neo-Babylonian Chalcedony Stamp Seal with Horned Ibex
6th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £222
Tongue-shaped in profile with incuse image of an advancing ram beneath a crescent moon, arrow in the field. 4.40 grams, 18.46 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
The ibex, a wild mountain goat with distinctive curved horns, was a popular and meaningful motif in ancient Near Eastern art. It often appears in Mesopotamian and Persian imagery, where it could symbolise strength, agility, and a connection to the natural and divine worlds. In some contexts, the ibex is linked with fertility and abundance, particularly through its association with flowing water and vegetation. Its elegant form also made it well suited to small-scale objects such as seals, where its image could serve both a decorative and symbolic purpose, reflecting the beliefs and environment of the cultures that produced them. -
Western Asiatic Polished Bronze Bowl
Late 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Shallow body with rounded base and carinated rim. 312 grams, 15 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s. -
Western Asiatic Style Lapis Lazuli Bead Necklace String
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Composed of irregular beads interspersed with small spherical glass beads; restrung. 18.7 grams, 40.5 cm
Ex London, UK, art market 1990s.
