Description:

**Originally Listed At $500**

Ancient Near East, Anatolia, Early Bronze Age II, ca. 2700 to 2300 BCE. A Kusura-type marble idol of an extremely simplified anthropomorphic form. The idol is hand-carved and remarkably thin with a rounded head, a short conical neck, and a trapezoidal body with a rounded bottom. Kusura idols come from the village of Kusura in southeastern modern-day Turke. Votive idols like this one are known in a variety of fascinating forms throughout the pre-literate ancient world. From the truly abstract Kilia-type figures that are barely recognizable as human to the exaggerated feminine shapes of so-called "Venus" figures, people in the past, as today, had a clear desire to portray human forms and did not feel constrained by naturalism. Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 1.35" W x 2.25" H (3.4 cm x 5.7 cm); 2.75" H (7 cm) on included custom stand.

For a stylistically-similar example with a larger head, please see "Idols: The Beginning of Abstract Form." Ariadne Galleries, Inc., London, 1989, p. 58, fig. 17.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Richard Wagner collection, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, acquired in the 1960s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

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#143620

  • Condition: Small chips and losses to head and body, with light encrustations across most surfaces. Light earthen deposits throughout.

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June 25, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
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$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 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000