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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:
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Large Stone Age Flint Ovate Handaxe
Palaeolithic Period, circa 450,000-300,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,040
With silky cream and pale blue patina; small oval darker area forming part of the original cortex, potentially left to aid grip; inked notation 'Blandford / Dorset'; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 535 grams total including stand, axe: 13.3 cm
Found Blanford, Dorset, UK. From the collection of John Sharp, former well known archaeologist. 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.
The Ovate form is uncommon. Attributed to Homo Heidelbergensis. -
Stone Age Standing Goddess Idol Group
Neolithic Period, circa 6th-4th millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £598
Comprising a pair of idols carved in the round with emphasised hips and vestigial head and limbs; each mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.55 kg total, 15-19 cm including stand
From 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.
Most 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. -
Stone Age 'Herne Bay' Flint Pebble Tool
Palaeolithic Period, circa 300,000-200,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Piriform hand-adze with cortex to the handle, old collector's inked reference 'P14'; drilled for mounting. 280 grams, 97 mm
Found Cliffs, Herne Bay, Kent, UK. From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
