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LOT 1294
Western Asiatic Whetstone
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
5 1/4 in. (39 grams, 13.3 cm).
Columnar in section with tapering tip, bulb to rear end and lateral piercing. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx London, UK, gallery, 1971-early 2000s.
London, UK, collection.
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AUCTIONS:
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Western Asiatic White Stone and Shell Bead Collection
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Group of fusiform, cylindrical, rectangular and other beads. 14 grams total, 2-18 mm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s. Private collection, Harwich. -
Mesopotamian Marble Chalice
Late 2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
With flared foot and sturdy shank, bowl with carinated profile and everted rim. 6.47 kg, 35.2 cm
Ex Mayfair, London, UK, gallery, 2000s. -
Sabaean Alabaster Bull
3rd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,750
Carved in the round with integral rectangular base; of sturdy build with thick shoulders, rump and legs; latticed hair texture to the brow. 1.14 kg, 14 cm wide
Mrs Janssens, Belgium, 1970s. Private collection, London, UK. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S000119291. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12980-245246.
In Sabaean religion, the bull signalled strength, fertility, and divine protection, and is often linked by scholarship with the moon-god Almaqah, the principal deity of the kingdom. Small alabaster figures of this type were likely set up as temple offerings or served as fittings within cultic furnishings; flat undersides or discreet mounting points on some examples suggest attachment to a larger ensemble.
