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LOT 0188
South Arabian Alabaster Plaque with Bull's Head
3RD-1ST CENTURY B.C.
7 3/4 in. (2.18 kg total, 19.7 cm including stand).
Comprising a square panel with a bull's head in low-relief, striated eyes and flaring nostrils, a thick tuft of hair arranged between the eyes, acanthus leaf between curved horns; 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.
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.
Cf. Cleveland R.L., An Ancient South Arabian Necropolis, objects from the second campaign (1951) in the Timna Cemetery, Baltimore, 1951, pp.36ff, and pl.61ss, for similar examples (esp.61).
FootnotesAlong with the ibex, the bull is one of the most frequently represented animals in the sculpture found in the Arabian cemeteries, like Timna.
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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Western Asiatic Terracotta Jug with Face
8th-9th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Biconvex in profile with high strap handle and scooped mouth; applied anthropomorphic detail. 203 grams, 99 mm high
UK collection, 1990s. Acquired on the UK art market, before 2000. Private collection, Mr M.V., a London-based businessman. 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. -
Western Asiatic Lapis Lazuli and Green Stone Bead Necklace String
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Composed of large cylindrical beads with spiral-decoration, interspersed with large spherical and small tubular beads, central feature a fish-shaped pendant. 50 grams, 43 cm
From the London, UK, art market in the 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. -
Early Akkadian Shell Cylinder Seal with Unclassified Snake God
Circa 2300-2200 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
With figures and fire altar, restrung pair of red stone beads, old handwritten label '1649'; accompanied by a copy of an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder Seal of Fawn Fossil Shell, 35 x 20.5 mm. On the right sits a snake god: human body above the waist, curling snake below, with one hand extended. Facing him stands a god in long robe with bottom fringe, also extending one hand. Between them is a fire altar. Behind each god is a sideboard for holding food and drink ready to consume. There is a lunar crescent in the sky. This is an Akkadian seal from Mesopotamia or Western Iran, c. 2300-2200 B.C. The snake god is not yet identified from texts, but is a fascinating item of Akkadian mythology.'; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 30 grams, 35 mm
Armand Trampitsch, Glyptique Archéologie, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 13-14 May 1992, no.23 [Part]. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert in 1992. 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.
