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LOT 0242
South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman
1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
8 7/8 in. (3.49 kg total, 22.5 cm high including stand).
Carved in the half-round, the eyes with drilled pupils to accept inserts; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenanceFrom the collection of Dr Mohammed Saïd Farsi (1936-2019), acquired between 1960-1990 at Christie's, Sotheby's and Mayfair galleries.
LiteratureSee Simpson, S.T., Queen of Sheba: Treasures From Ancient Yemen, The British Museum Press, London, 2002, items 126, 270, and 282, for similar portraits.
FootnotesThe eyes of these beautiful statues were inlaid with blue glass or lapis lazuli. These portraits could have been inserted in a funerary stele, but most probably this portrait comes from a statue similar to the 'Myriam of Tamna', as can be understood from the flat back, to which braided hair in plaster was probably attached.
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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Babylonian Cuneiform Clay Tablet
Circa 2000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Pillow-shaped and bearing ten horizontal lines of cuneiform text to the principal face with one vertical line to the side. 60 grams, 58 mm
Acquired before 1990s/early 2000s. From the family collection of Jack Lyttle (1944-2023), Kilmacolm, Scotland; thence by descent to his granddaughter. Property of an East Sussex, UK, gentleman. -
Western Asiatic Stone Macehead
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Tubular in form with tapering profile and collar above the socket. 493 grams, 89 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman's collection, 1990s. -
Seljuk Gold Signet Ring for Yusef Abdullah
12th-13th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
With D-section hoop, scooped shoulders each with an incised heart-shaped motif, raised square bezel with Kufic inscription 'Yusef Abdullah'. 10.67 grams, 22.81 mm overall, 15.48 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 3/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)
From an old French collection believed to have been formed in the 1960s. Acquired privately as part of a collection in the early 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of a previous illustrated catalogue information page. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12268-214826.
