Details

LOT 0294

Sumerian Green Stone Eye Idol

3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.

1 5/8 in. (13.2 grams, 41 mm).

Carved in the round as a rectangular block with a slit to the upper edge, vertical spike with two annulet 'eyes'; pierced for suspension.

Provenance

with M. Petropoulos, Zurich, early 1990s.
with Rhéa gallery.
Private collection, acquired in 1999.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12897-241753.

Literature

See Amiet, P., Art of the Ancient Near East, New York, 1980, figures 215-216.

Footnotes

Idols were an important part of religious life in South Arabia and across the ancient Near East. They were made as images of gods, spirits, or protective powers, and helped people feel a closer connection to the divine. These figures might be placed in temples, shrines, or even in the home, where they could have a protective or devotional role. Their shapes were often simple and stylised, with more importance placed on their meaning than on making them look fully realistic.