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LOT 1006
Western Asiatic Bronze Bull Rider
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 in. (84 grams, 51 mm high).
Showing a man on a standing bull, grabbing the hair of a captive with his right hand.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
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. Ornan, T., ‘The bull and its two masters: Moon and Storm deities in relation to the bull in ancient Near Eastern Art (the phenomenon of shared identical emblematic imagery in Levantine iconography)’ in Israel Exploration Journal, 51 (1), pp.1-26, figs.12-14, for divinities mounting a bull.
FootnotesThe statuette can represent the god storm Hazor, a storm deity with lunar traits. The association between a bull and storm deities is well known on Anatolian sealings from 20th-19th century B.C. The portrayal of a god standing on a bull in conjunction with lunar symbols derived from Old Babylonian cult, where the bull was connected with the Moon as a goddess, and continued in the Near East in association with the god Hazor, identified with El, head of the Canaanite pantheon.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1006
Western Asiatic Bronze Bull Rider
Estimate £800 - 1,000€930 - 1,160 (for guidance only)$1,080 - 1,350 (for guidance only)
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Western Asiatic Stone Seal with Engraved Design
3rd millennium B.C.Estimate: £180 - 240 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £90
Triangular in plan and plano-convex in section with drilled upper face, geometric design to underside. 19 grams, 37 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. 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. -
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Akkadian Shell Cylinder Seal with Heroes
2350-2200 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
Representing a god with horned helmet, half animal and half man, standing on the left and holding a staff, near him the hero Gilgamesh killing Humbaba, and the hero Enkindu killing the celestial bull, followed by a mythological divinity depicted as half animal and half human; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 27 grams, 33 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12577-232112. 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.
King Sargon of Akkad created political unity when he seized control of Mesopotamia, and carvings on seals from the time demonstrate his success by portraying the power the Akkadian gods had to legitimize both their domain and their rulers. Religious scenes on cylinder seals detail the spiritual beliefs and practices of the time. The deeply intertwined relationship between religion and state power in Akkad is also present in the decorations of some cylinder seals. Here the hero Gilgamesh, embodying the strength of royal power, kills the monster Humbaba, as the king of Akkad kills his enemies. -
Parthian Gold Plaque with Engraved Figure
2nd-3rd century A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £845
Rectangular in plan with incised profile figure wearing a knee-length tunic and coiled leggings, a bulbous hat, holding a chalice in one hand; tooling marks to rear edge. 4.26 grams, 32 mm
Acquired in the 1980s. Ex Mayfair gallery, London, UK. Private collection, London. 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.
