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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:
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Published North African Stone Age Arrowhead Group
Neolithic Period, circa 6000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Group of three flint arrowheads comprising leaf-shaped, triangular and chevron. 3.08 grams total, 26-34 mm
From North Africa. From the collection of a French Museum in the Dordogne which closed some years ago. Acquired on the European art market. From the private collection of an East Anglian, UK, specialist collector. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant book pages where this handaxe is published. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Danish Stone Age Mesolithic Flaked Adze
Mesolithic Period, circa 10,000-6000 B.C .Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Lentoid in section with rounded butt and broad edge. 268 grams, 13.1 cm
From an old UK collection. 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. -
Published French Stone Age Arrowhead Group
Neolithic to Early Bronze Age Period, circa 6000-4000 B.P.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
Mounted on a board in a square wooden frame with old collector's label 'Henouville 1951 MA'. 222 grams total, 19.6 x 19.5 cm including frame
Found Henouville, France, in 1951, by a Mr M A. From an old collection. Acquired on the European 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.
