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LOT 0024
Phoenician Alabastron with Handles
6TH-5TH CENTURY B.C.
7 3/4 in. (650 grams, 19.7 cm high).
Comprising a slender alabaster piriform body and two lateral lug handles, conical neck with broad everted rim.
ProvenanceGiusfredi collection, 1980s.
Swiss private collection, acquired May 1999.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession no.74.51.5120, for similar; cf. also Bissing, F.W., Studien zur ältesten Kultur Italiens. IV. Alabastra. Studi Etruschi 13, pp.131-78, pls.XII-XIII, for similar examples.
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 Egyptian Faience Thoth as a Baboon Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Modelled in the round as the god in baboon-form crouching holding a wedjat-eye in his forepaws; ribbed suspension loop on back; mounted on a custom-made stand. 31.51 grams total, 80 mm including stand
Ex private UK, collection formed since the 1960s. 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. -
Egyptian Mixed Scarab Collection
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
Comprising (from left to right and top to bottom): 1) a scarab with an oval border containing, on either side, a maat feather, rearing cobra, and Dual Crown flanking a central column composed of ‘r’–‘n’–‘r’- sa (x2)-ka-neb signs; 2) a scarab with an oval border containing the throne name of pharaoh Amenhotep III (Neb-Maat-Re); 3) a scarab with an oval border containing a seated deity holding an ankh sign, facing sa, water, and neb signs; 4) a scarab with an oval border containing a running ibex surrounded by foliage; 5) a scarab with partially preserved design that gives the throne name of pharaoh Akhenaten (Nefer-kheperu-Re); 6) a scarab with an oval border containing a viper, duck and nefer signs. 19.5 grams total, 14-23 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Phoenician Glass Bead Collection
6th-3rd century B.C. or laterEstimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £650
Comprising a group of crumb-decorated polychrome oblate beads and a centrepiece pendant formed as a stylised bearded head. 179 grams total, 12-42 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The Phoenicians, renowned seafarers and traders, were also skilled glassworkers. They produced a wide variety of glass beads using core-forming and winding techniques, with vivid colours and elaborate designs that reflect both technical mastery and cross-cultural influence. Among the most iconic Phoenician beads are glass 'head' beads, crafted in the form of stylised human or mythological faces. Typically, they feature exaggerated facial details like bulging eyes, large noses, beards, and headdresses, often with expressive or comic features. They were possibly worn as amulets to ward off evil or attract protection, though they may also represent deities, ancestors, or foreigners. These beads often incorporate Egyptian, Greek, and Near Eastern stylistic elements, reflecting the Phoenicians’ extensive trade networks.
