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LOT 0241
South Arabian Alabaster Plaque with Bull's Head
3RD-1ST CENTURY B.C.
7 7/8 in. (2.09 kg total, 19.8 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, shallow acanthus leaf between curved horns, inscription on the rectangular space at the bottom of the panel; 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, 1951, pp.36ff, and pl.61ss, for similar examples (esp.61).
FootnotesThe presence of these representations in South Arabian cemeteries attests to the importance of the bull in the religious iconography of pre-Islamic Arabia.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0241
South Arabian Alabaster Plaque with Bull's Head
Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
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Babylonian Fragmental Weight with Inscription
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Plano-convex in section with incised cuneiform inscription to the flat face. 6.8 grams, 13 mm
with Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983. Ex private North American collection. London private collection, 2016. -
Western Asiatic Terracotta Jar
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £40
With trumpet-shaped base, thick stem, carinated bowl an everted rim; ribbed band to the equator. 1.06 kg, 16.8 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. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Incense Burner in the Shape of an Eagle
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,980
With outstretched wings and erect body, open beak and eyes hollowed to accept inserts, five-feather spread tail and a rectangular socket to the back; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 430 grams total, 11 cm including stand
Béla Hein collection, Paris, France, before 1931. 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 a search certificate number no.12569-232077.
Béla Hein (1883-1931) was a prominent dealer and collector of African art in early 20th century Paris. In the early 1920s, he founded a gallery specialising in African art, contemporary sculpture, and a variety of curiosities, including antiquities. Hein's influence extended across the art world, and his collection reflected a keen eye for both historical and aesthetic significance.
