Loading, please wait...
LOT 1284
Trans-Jordan Polished Terracotta Bowl
EARLY BRONZE AGE, 3RD-2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 1/2 in. (145 grams, 65 mm high).
Hemispherical n profile with small foot, dimple to the underside; rim chipped. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a family collection pre 1988.
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.
-
Western Asiatic Gold Ring with Boar Gemstone
14th century A.D. and earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
With a keeled hoop and openwork shield-shaped shoulder with scroll ornament, a diamond-shaped shield with a cross to the base of the hoop; large bezel with an applied stylised bird underneath, the sides with pellet ornament in three rows, four claws holding the 4th-5th century Sassanian intaglio depicting a boar devouring the leg of its prey. 8.63 grams, 25.72 mm overall, 18.95 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P 1/2, USA 7 3/4, Europe 16.86, Japan 16)
Private collection, USA, acquired in the 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of a previous cataloguing information page.
It was a fairly common practice to re-use Sassanian intaglios in Islamic rings from Iran. In Eastern cultures the boar was a sacred animal with magical powers. -
Luristan Bronze Votive Animal Group
13th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Model horses each with splayed legs and a stub to the rump (to accept a rider figure?). 65 grams total, 40-48 mm
Private collection formed in the 1990s. Acquired from a central London gallery. Property of an Essex gentleman. -
Aramaic Terracotta Bowl with Magical Incantation
4th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
With conical body, the inner face bearing the remains of concentric rings of inked magical Aramaic text, repaired. 330 grams, 16 cm
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.
Aramaic incantation bowls are particular to the Sassanian period and have been found in regions of modern Iraq. These simple ceramic bowls, also known as magic bowls, each contain an Aramaic inscription, written in ink, which spirals from the centre. The bowls seem to have played an important part in domestic life. For example, during excavation in Nippur in 1889, one or more incantation bowls were found in each house together with domestic artefacts, most often in doorways or under floorboards in the corner of rooms. The bowls are predominantly apotropaic, and the inscriptions tend to protect their owners from misfortunes such as those faced in child-birth, illness and evil spirits.