Loading, please wait...
LOT 0254
Western Asiatic Terracotta Vessel with Bird Head
8TH-9TH CENTURY A.D.
7 1/8 in. (612 grams, 18 cm).
Aviform body with loop handle and applied collars and detailing to the neck and head; painted spiral tendril design.
ProvenanceUK collection, 1990s.
Acquired on the UK art market, before 2000.
Private collection, Mr M.V., a London-based businessman.
TimeLine 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.
LOT 0254
Western Asiatic Terracotta Vessel with Bird Head
Estimate £300 - 400€350 - 460 (for guidance only)$410 - 540 (for guidance only)
-
Sumerian Bone Face Mask
Circa 3000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £936
D-shaped in plan and plano-convex in section with large ellipsoid voids for the eyes, high-relief facial features. 50 grams, 59 mm
Acquired between 1981-1996. Property of a North American collector. -
Western Asiatic Stone Cylinder Seal Group
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Comprising seven cylinder seals including one with a contest scene, one showing a procession of animals, two with figures, and others. 56 grams total, 17-29 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Bactrian Black Chlorite 'Hand Bag' Ceremonial Weight
3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,750
D-shaped in profile with void below the curved edge, obverse with reserved serpent and lion opposed, the lion's claw grasping the serpent; reverse with spread eagle flanked by rearing serpents; all bodies with sockets to accept coloured inserts; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.95 kg total,18.5 cm (22.5 cm including stand)
with Gallery Rosen Ancient Art, Tel Aviv, 1960s. Ex London, UK, gallery, 1971-early 2000s. London, UK, collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate no.12774-237878.
The object could have been carried or swung in ceremonies or processions. On one side is a bird of prey, with its claws surrounded by the writhing bodies of two serpents, whose heads flank the bird's head. This symmetrical scheme probably renders a version of the enmity of eagle and serpent, which must have been an important theme of ancient Iranian art; the motif was later diffused throughout the world.