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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.
Provenancewith 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.
See Amiet, P., Art of the Ancient Near East, New York, 1980, figures 215-216.
FootnotesIdols 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0294
Sumerian Green Stone Eye Idol
Estimate £2,500 - 3,500€2,900 - 4,060 (for guidance only)$3,380 - 4,730 (for guidance only)
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Babylonian Agate Bead Necklace with Gold Beads
9th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,150
Restrung necklace of tubular and fusiform beads with interstitial gold tubular beads, three D-shaped plaques with granulated gold caps, one pierced to accept a pendant. 43.24 grams, 31 cm
Private collection, acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13207-249239.
Texts from Neo-Babylonian times in various archives, such as that of Eanna, concern the smelting of metals for the construction or repair of specific objects, including necklaces. One example from the archive (NCBT 184 - Npl 9 III 1) obv. 3 recites: '3 minas 26 shekels of gold (were) put into the kiln for the necklace of dubkåtu (beads) of Nanåya. It (the gold) is (now) at the disposal of Sadûni. (It was weighed) according to the 3 mina weight of bronze and (smaller) weights of iron.' The jewellers were responsible for cutting the precious stones and beads that were set in the jewellery and other ornamentation produced by the goldsmiths. In this capacity, they were issued beads and unworked pieces (takkassu, sibirtu) of various semiprecious stones, including agate (pappardilû), carnelian (samtu), eye stones (na igiII.mes), lapis lazuli (uqnû), and turquoise (asgikû). -
Western Asiatic Painted Bird Vessel
8th-9th century A.D.Estimate: £150 - 200 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £75
Hollow-formed piriform body with three columnar legs, strap handle with applied detailing and applied collar, tapering neck and strigine head with applied loops to the eyes. 442 grams, 17 cm high
UK collection, 1990s. Acquired on the UK art market, before 2000. Private collection, Mr M.V., a London-based businessman. -
Bactrian Lapis Lazuli Bead Necklace with Later Gold Foil
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
Restrung group of tubular lapis lazuli beads, each with a sheet-gold sleeve; modern clasp. 22 grams, 61 cm
Acquired on the London art market. Private collection, UK.
