Lot 131A
Near East, Amlash Culture, ca. 6th - 4th century BCE. A highly interesting and rather enigmatic object, seldom seen on the market. It is a bronze sheet object and coming from the Amlash culture. It consists of a disc-shaped body and a rectangular neck projection on one side, that is splayed slightly towards the upper edge. In this edge four small openings were cut, so that the whole looks surmounted by five contiguous stemmed discs, which are sometimes called "eye"-discs. The centre of each of the five discs has a repoussé blob, and similar blobs can be seen in the centre of the neck projection and at the ends of its base-line. The neck projection is also decorated with double rows of punched dots, four of which form a frame along the edges, whereas two others run diagonally, crossing each other. Dots are also seen around the five "eye"-discs.The function of such objects is not certain. Moorey (1971), p. 238 informs us that they are commonly described as "mirrors" and could well have served as such, although the "handles" are not made for ease of holding. Their position when found in graves does not make their function clear, though it does suggest that they were used by human beings and were not horse trappings or the like. Their shape has affinities with a stylization of the female body not uncommon on "fertility" figurines, particularly from Anatolia. Height 17.1 cm, width 9.8 cm. Literature: P.R.S. Moorey, Catalogue of the Ancient Persian Bronzes in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1971), p. 237-238, pls. 67-69, nos. 445-452, esp. 450. Provenance: Belgian private collection V.H.; Christie's London, 2003. ***Lot located in Netherlands, additional shipping charges apply*** All items in this auction have been legally acquired, are legal to sell, and guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids, papered by our parent company, Artemis Gallery Ancient Art. The starting price is the lowest price at which the lot can sell.
- Condition: Intact with a green patina; some encrustation; some rim roughness and small tears, minor pitting and other surface wear, as shown. In excellent condition overall. A very desirable piece.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |