Loading, please wait...
LOT 0239
South Arabian Alabaster Head of a Woman
6TH-4TH CENTURY B.C.
12 3/8 in. (3.66 kg total, 31.4 cm including stand).
Large female head with angular nose with straight ridge, rounded cheeks and chin, large sockets for inlaid eyes with rounded depressions in the centre of the eyes, grooved eyebrows and outlines of the eyes, the tapering neck long and cylindrical, the back left roughly tooled; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenanceUK collection, 1990s.
Acquired on the UK art market, before 2000.
Private collection, Mr M.V., a London-based businessman.
Cf. Cleveland R.L., An Ancient South Arabian Necropolis, objects from the second campaign (1951) in the Timna Cemetery, Baltimore, pl.6 no.TC 914, for similar.
FootnotesThis finely carved calcite-alabaster head was originally set within a stela and inscribed with the name of the deceased. Six hundred of these funerary stelae were discovered in localities like Mārib, and other examples were later found during the excavations of the Awwam temple cemetery.
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.
-
.jpg)
Luristan Bronze Horse Bit Cheek-Pieces Modelled as Winged Gryphons
8th–7th century B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Comprising a matched pair of cheek-pieces, each a winged gryphon standing on a baseline with head turned to face the viewer, curled tail to rump, lateral horns to the brow; pierced at the shoulder to accept the bit; mounted on a custom-made stand. 423 grams total, 10.4-10.7 cm (1.07 kg total, 26 cm wide including stand)
A.P. family collection, Europe, from 1969, partly transferred to the United Kingdom in 1981. London art market, after 2000. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12975-245210.
Horse equipment was an important symbol of status and power in the Iron Age Near East. Elaborate bits with decorated cheek-pieces were not only practical items for controlling horses but also served a display function, reflecting the wealth and rank of their owners. The sphinx, a creature combining human and animal features, was a common protective figure in the art of the period. Winged sphinxes, in particular, were associated with divine guardianship and the protection of rulers and warriors. The use of such imagery on horse gear underscored the prestige of cavalry and chariotry in the 8th–7th century BCE, when mounted warfare played a central role in the expansion of Near Eastern empires. -
Western Asiatic Bulbous Terracotta Jar
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Comprising a globular body with circumferential painted bands at the equator, trumpet-shaped neck and mouth. 522 grams, 16.2 cm
From the collection of a London, UK, gentleman, 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. -
Achaemenid Blue Glass Bead Necklace String
6th-4th century B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £85
Restrung designer necklace string of globular, oblate and other types with polyhedral and annular pendant centrepiece. 12.4 grams, 33 cm
London, UK, collection, 2000s.
