Loading, please wait...

South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman
Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge
Details

LOT 1243

South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman

3RD-1ST CENTURY B.C.

9 5/8 in. (3.3 kg total, 24.3 cm high including stand).

Modelled with an angular nose with straight ridge, small mouth with raised lips, rounded cheeks and chin, shallow eyes with grooved outlines, shallow ears, short neck, the back and the top of the head left roughly tooled; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

Provenance

UK collection, 1990s.
Acquired on the UK art market, before 2000.
Private collection, Mr M.V., a London-based businessman.

Literature

Cf. Cleveland R.L., An Ancient South Arabian Necropolis, objects from the second campaign (1951) in the Timna Cemetery, Baltimore, pls.4-5 for similar examples.

Footnotes

This finely carved calcite-alabaster head was probably unfinished, as can be seen from the absence of the holes for the inlay of the eyes and the unfinished ears. In the Arabian funerary sculptures of the period, the tops of the heads are usually cut off flat just above the hair line and left roughly tooled. The cut was due to the necessity of fitting them into niches of 'house shrines'. Large stelae with niches containing such heads were found in the Timna Cemetery.

CONDITION
VETTING:

TimeLine 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 1243

South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman

Sold for (Inc. bp): £585

Print page

RELATED LOTS
  • Abbasid Three-Colour Lustre Pottery Bowl Group
    Abbasid Three-Colour Lustre Pottery Bowl Group
    10th century A.D.

    Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £576

    Of rounded form on short foot with everted lip, each with hatched decoration on the reverse; one with stylised palmettes on dense dotted and hatched ground; the other with radial composition with floral branches; restored. 598 grams total, 18-19.2 cm



    with Christie's, South Kensington, Art & Textiles of The Islamic & Indian Worlds, 8 April 2011, no.142. Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12723-235153.

    Lot Details

  • Babylonian Bronze Pazuzu Head Pendant
    Babylonian Bronze Pazuzu Head Pendant
    700-600 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £208

    Formed in the round bust of Pazuzu with disc base and loop. 4.45 grams, 19.7 mm



    From a collection of a late London, UK, collector, 1980s. 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.

    Lot Details

  • Western Asiatic Bronze Dish
    Western Asiatic Bronze Dish
    Mid 1st millennium B.C.

    Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £50

    Broad and shallow with lip to the inner face of the rim. 86 grams, 11.4 cm



    Ex 1990s collection and with a central London gallery.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list