Loading, please wait...
LOT 0340
Stone Age Pregnant Mother Goddess Idol Collection
NEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 6TH-4TH MILLENNIUM B.C. OR LATER
4 3/8 - 4 3/4 in. (1.75 kg total, 11.3-12.1 cm).
Comprising two pregnant female figures with emphasised rounded stomach, and a male with vestigial limbs; each mounted on a custom-made stand. [3, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
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 search certificate number no.12332-224210.
Cf. Morris, D., The Art of Ancient Cyprus, Oxford, 1985, figs.107-108, p.119, for similar idols; Various, Idoles, Au commencement etait l’image, A la Reine Margot, 22 Novembre 1990-28 Fevrier 1991, Paris, 1990, fig. 11, for similar; also see Caldwell, Duncan, ‘The Use of Animals in Birth Protection Rituals and Possible Uses of Stone Figurines from the Central Sahel’ in African Arts, UCLA, 2015 Winter issue, vol.48, no.4, Nov., pp.14-25, figs.5, letters A,N,O.
FootnotesMost scholars consider these as symbols of the fertility cult and as evidence of the existence of a matriarchal society as a form of organisation of the earliest human society. The people of the Stone Age may have considered figures such as this to represent women and mothers with their life-giving powers, or as depictions of the ancestors.
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.
-
Neolithic Wood Shaving Blade with Antler Handle
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £180
Finely knapped and polished tongue-shaped blade embedded in a more recent antler handle with chisel finial. 134 grams, 23.1 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
British Stone Age Flint Chopper and Axe from the Isle of Wight
Mesolithic Period, circa 14000-8000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Each with much cortex remaining and pencilled 'IOW' notation. 347 grams total, 92-99 mm
Found Isle of Wight, Hampshire, UK. From a Leicestershire, UK, collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
.jpg)
Stone Age Fontmaure Jasper Neanderthal Levellious Point
Middle Palaeolithic Period, Mousterian, circa 150,000-60,000 B.PSold for (Inc. bp): £104
Very well made with fine retouch on the tip and running down both sides to form a textbook point. 10.5 grams, 54 mm
From Fontmaure, Vienne department, France. From the private collection of famous UK musician and amateur archaeologist, Victor Brox (1941-2023). Acquired on the UK art market. From the private collection of an East Anglian, UK, specialist collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
From the well regarded area of Fontmaure, the jasper has vibrant colours and traces of chalcondary running though it.
