Loading, please wait...
LOT 1615
Stone Age Standing Goddess Idol Group
NEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 6TH-4TH MILLENNIUM B.C. OR LATER
5 7/8 - 7 1/2 in. (1.55 kg total, 15-19 cm including stand).
Comprising a pair of idols carved in the round with emphasised hips and vestigial head and limbs; each mounted on a custom-made stand. [2, 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.12335-224212.
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. Morris, D., The Art of Ancient Cyprus, Oxford, 1985, figs.107-108, p.119, for similar idols; also see the view of 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 R, Y.
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.
-
Stone Age Flint Round Steep-Sided Scraper Group
Neolithic Period, circa 5000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
Five scrappers knapped in light to dark drown flint, one round, others ovate. 43.4 grams total, 27-38 mm
Found Thames Valley in the 19th century. From an antiquarian Palaeolithic study collection, Shropshire, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Stone Age Leaf-Shaped Arrowhead Collection
Neolithic Period, 6th-4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Comprising mostly bifacial and uniface leaf-shaped and piriform flint and chert arrowheads; probably from the Sahara region of North Africa. 71 grams total, 20-33 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Similar specimens of arrowheads have been found in the Eastern Sahara Region of Abu Tartur Plateau. Most of the arrowheads came from the El Jarar Neolithic, c. 7700-7300 B.P. (c.6500-6100 B.C.). Other parallels occur in the region of Kharga Oasis. -
Stone Age Fine Knapped Point
Upper Palaeolithic Period, circa 40,000-22,000 years B.P.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
A knapped lozenge-shaped bifacial tool in light grey flint. 38 grams, 94 mm
Found Yonne, Bourgogne, Franche-Compte Region, France. From a large French collection formed in the early 1900s. 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.
