Loading, please wait...
LOT 0236
Sogdian Silver Cup with Incised Design
7TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
3 3/8 in. (67.7 grams, 86 mm).
Comprising a tapering sidewall with carination and convex underside, trumpet-shaped foot with beaded rim; D-shaped thumb-pad to the rim with narrow chamfered handle and spur beneath; frieze of fronds reserved against a pounced field.
ProvenanceOld Belgian private collection, 1970s.
Acquired on the Brussels art market, 2008.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12908-242700.
Cf. similar cup in Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, under accession no.F2012.1 (fluted cup with ring handle decorated with elephant heads); see the exhibition The Sogdians: Influencers on the Silk Roads at Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institute; Marshak, B., ‘A Sogdian Silver Bowl in the Freer Gallery of Art’ in Ars Orientalis, 29, 1999, pp.103-110; see cup with similar handle in the Hermitage State Museum, Saint Petersburg inventory no.S-251; cf. a similar goblet in the treasure of Mala Perescepina, in Daim, F., Hunnen + Awaren, Reitervölker aus dem Osten, Burgenländische Landesausstellung 1996, Schloß Halbturn, 26 April - 31 Oktober 1996, Eisenstadt, 1996, p.214ff., no.5.18.
FootnotesFooted silver cups with ring handles were well known in Central Asia and were common in Sogdian silverwork of the 7th – 8th century A.D. The low beaded foot and the ring handle with lobed thumb rest are well documented in Sogdian silver attributed to the same period. The plant and floral decoration finds parallel with a silver bowl from Xijao (Marshak, 1999, fig.6), which shows the same low beaded foot of our cup. This decoration is also visible on a vessel from the Malaya Perescepina treasure, sent by the Emperor Heraclius to the Bulgarian Khan Kuvrat. Heraclius took it together with other precious objects as war booty after defeating the Sasanians in 627-628 A.D.
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:
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.
LOT 0236
Sogdian Silver Cup with Incised Design
Estimate £6,000 - 8,000€6,960 - 9,280 (for guidance only)$8,100 - 10,800 (for guidance only)
-
Mesopotamian Stone Frog Amulet
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Modelled as a crouching frog with anatomical detailing, pierced longitudinally. 5.56 grams, 26 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
Frog amulets in ancient Egypt symbolised fertility, rebirth, and regeneration. Associated with the goddess Heqet, who was linked to childbirth and life-giving forces, these amulets were particularly popular in contexts related to fertility and protection during pregnancy and childbirth. Their connection to the annual Nile flood, which brought new life to the land, further emphasised their symbolism of renewal and abundance. -
Western Asiatic Silver Ring with Robed Female Gemstone
3rd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Comprising a tapering D-section hoop, stepped discoid bezel with inset garnet(?) cabochon, intaglio standing robed female with distaff. 8.00 grams, 22.80 mm overall, 18.71 mm internal diameter (approximate size British H, USA 3 3/4, Europe 6.18, Japan 6)
Property of a Mayfair gentleman; collected from 1966-2017. -
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Collection
13th-6th century B.C.Estimate: £120 - 170 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £65
Comprising triangular types with thick midrib, heater-shaped, leaf-shaped, and other types. 340 grams total, 8.7-17.5 cm
Ex London art market, 1980-1990s. 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.
One category of the represented arrowheads has a sharp, flat blade, the ends of which extend to form wings or barbs, and a prominent midrib extending into a long tang that often has a stop; the blade shape varies from deltoid to more triangular. Another form has no barbs, but it has a prominent midrib extending to the tang, and a narrow leaf-shaped blade.
