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LOT 1215
Western Asiatic Stone Decorated Spindle Whorl Group
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
3/4 - 7/8 in. (9.39 grams total, 18-23 mm).
Comprising two conical spindle whorls, the larger with stylised human figures and quadrupeds, the smaller with ring-and-dot decoration. [2, No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired in the 1980s-2000s.
From an important London, UK, collection.
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AUCTIONS:
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Persian Portrait of a Bearded Man
Late 19th-20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Showing a man kneeling on the ground pouring liquid to a small cup, another cup, an open book and pomegranates on the ground; mounted in a wooden frame with cardboard backing. 507 grams, 28.4 x 23.8 cm
Private collection, London. -
Western Asiatic Stone Libation Bowl
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £40
With a biconical body and flared foot set off-centre, large U-shaped spout and flat rim. 667 grams total, 11.9 cm
From a collection formed before 1988, London and Geneva. 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. -
Monumental Luristan Bronze Armband Pair with Dragon Heads
Late 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
A matching pair of penannular armbands, each with a round-section body and dragon-head terminals, one terminal on each band separately made; the dragons with ring-and-dot eyes and linear decoration, slit mouths and flaring nostrils. 1.19 kg total, 13-13.1 cm
Ex London, UK gallery, 1971-early 2000s. Private collection, London.
Bronze armbands of this scale and quality are characteristic of Luristan, an important centre of metal production in western Iran during the early 1st millennium B.C. The region is renowned for its distinctive cast bronzes, including weapons, horse trappings, and items of personal adornment, often decorated with powerful animal imagery. The dragon, with its elongated body and open jaws, was a common motif in Luristan art, symbolising strength, protection, and the supernatural. Armbands with dragon-head terminals likely carried an apotropaic function, serving both as impressive ornaments and as protective charms for the wearer. Monumental examples such as this pair are rare survivals, attesting to the high status of their original owner and the extraordinary skill of Luristan bronze workers.
