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LOT 0939
Western Asiatic Chalcedony Bull Amulet
CIRCA 3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.
1 1/4 in. (12.7 grams, 32 mm).
Carved figure of a recumbent bull with headed turned, drilled eyes, legs folded beneath the body; drilled at the midriff and shoulders for use as a bead. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1970s-1996.
Property of a North American collector.
London collection, 2016.
Cf. A Peaceable Kingdom/ The Leo Mildenberg Collection of Ancient Animals, Christie's London, 2004, item 170, for a later example.
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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Bactrian Gold Earring Pair
Circa 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Each composed of an ear hook with circular cells at the neck and triangular plaque composed of graduated gold bulbs. 3.16 grams, 18 mm each
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Bactrian Manuscript Fragment of a Letter Written to Bunakan
5th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Recto bearing ten incomplete lines of cursive script on leather; verso blank; accompanied by notes detailing the history and significance of such texts. 1.56 grams, 11.2 cm
Fair condition.
David Lindahl, Sweden, 2001. Collection of Bruce Ferrini, USA. Central London gallery. Property of a UK collector. For UK buyers only, this item is not exportable from the UK.
The Bactrian kingdom of southern Transoxiana was only known from a handful of inscriptions, seals and coins until circa 1991, when a cache of around 150 documents was discovered in an archive belonging to the ruler of the city of Rob, dating between the 4th-8th century AD, leading to major developments in the understanding of the Bactrian language. Many of these documents were sold on the art market and collected by Dr. David Naser Khalili for his Nour Foundation. -
Western Asiatic Terracotta Idol
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Free-standing; formed with a pinched face, hair held in a bun at the back of the head, arms folded across the waist, wearing a neck collar and possibly a headdress; splayed foot. 33 grams, 10.1 cm high
Acquired in the 1970s. Ex European private collection.