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LOT 0481
Phoenician Bronze Figure
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
4 in. (56 grams total, 10.3 cm including stand).
Modelled in the round with tall conical cap, pinched face, flat discoid upper body and single-piece legs, ovoid foot; lightly punched eyes, navel and nipples, horseshoe punch-detailing to edges; mounted on a display 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.
This figurine bears a resemblance to other simply crafted figurines found in temple deposits at Byblos and other Phoenician sites. The tall conical cap seen on many of these figurines is reminiscent of the hedjet Egyptian crown, underscoring the robust cultural and commercial ties between the Levant and Egypt.
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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Egyptian Amarna Period Beaded Fruit Necklace
18th Dynasty, 1332-1346 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £598
Restrung necklace of annular and tabular beads with fructiform amulets. 13.1 grams, 44 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s.
Petal-shaped beads of faience and glass were widely used in jewellery during the Amarna Period. During this era, advanced production methods enabled the creation of bi-chrome and polychrome designs, which often included newly developed colours. This resulted in vibrant necklaces that resembled festive collars made of natural floral elements. -
Egyptian Bronze and Glass Inlaid Ostrich Feather from an Atef Crown
Late Period-Ptolemaic Period, circa 664-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
Stylised ostrich plume surmounting a ram's horn, uraeus with sun disk to one side; side tang and loop on the underside for attachment; the plume decorated with a series of narrow horizontal recesses to accept inlays, with some original remaining as well as later replacements in blue glass. 244 grams total, 18.5 cm
UK private collection of Werner Forman (1921-2010), formed between 1950-1980.
The atef crown consists of a central element similar to the hedjet or White Crown, flanked by two ostrich feathers, often with a pair of ram's horns beneath and uraei on either side. The meaning of atef is uncertain, but it may mean either 'his might' or 'his terror'. The crown first appeared in the 5th Dynasty and is particularly associated with the underworld god Osiris. -
Egyptian Limestone 'Floral' Inlay Group
Roman Period, 30 B.C.-323 A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £46
Group of discoid inlay plaques or gaming counters, crinoids with cinquefoil motif. 33 grams total, 13-18 mm
From a central London ADA dealership, 1980-1990.
Flowers were symbolic of rebirth due to the daily reopening of their petals after nightfall. As a result, they were widely used in domestic settings, religious and funerary contexts, and as adornments. Similar rosette discs, like those recovered from the Ramesside Period palace at Qantir, were used as decorative elements in royal palaces.
