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LOT 2198
Victorian 'Freaks Fair' Model of a Shrunken Head
19TH CENTURY A.D.
8 in. (810 grams total, 20.5 cm including stand).
A tribal head modelled from leather with applied hair, moustache, eyebrows and eyelashes; pierced through the lips and ears; set in a later glass dome with base. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired Mellors & Kirk, circa 2019.
Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK, formed since 1985.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
The freak show was the archetypal expression of popular culture, enjoyed by everyone regardless of their class. The freak show was presented to the public as entertaining and educational, offering the opportunity to learn about anatomy and the ‘realities’ of people from foreign lands. The real 'shrunken heads' known as tsantsas were severed human heads that were used by tribal cultures as war trophies or for ceremonial purposes. They were also used to scare off an enemy, using the heads as a threat, or also in religious rituals.
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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LOT 2198
Victorian 'Freaks Fair' Model of a Shrunken Head
Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
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Post Medieval Silver and Glass Bead Necklace
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Alternating red glass globular beads and hollow-formed silver annular beads with pelletted rims and flanged body; modern clasp. 80 grams, 53.5 cm
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1990s. Ex property of a London, UK, gentleman. Property of a Californian, USA, collector. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
Post Medieval Parcel-Gilt Silver Dish
Eastern Europe, 16th-17th century A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £546
Ellipsoid in plan with fluted rim, sidewall with repoussé vinescroll inhabited by a stag, doe, hares and hound; base with an eagle seizing a hare and a child riding a hunting dog; central stepped lozenge with reserved winged griffin, balustered knop. 333 grams, 21.8 cm
From the collection of a gentleman collector, London, UK, 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
Roman and Sasanian Style Gemstone Group
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Comprising eleven agate and carnelian intaglios: one with a winged ibex; seven with a profile bust; one with a standing zebu, star above; one with an ibex, and one with a reclining lion; after the antique. 17 grams total, 12-25 mm
Property of a North London, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
