Description:

Ancient Near East, Sumerian, Early Dynastic IIIb, ca. 2500 to 2250 BCE. A finely-sculpted and fairly-naturalistic head of a male worshipper, hand-carved from creamy white calcite stone. The bald head presents a haunting visage of nicely-contoured cheeks, a broad nose, a prominent, arched unibrow, and deeply-recessed eye sockets which at one time perhaps held gemstones or other semi-precious stones. Petite ears protrude from either side of his round head, resting just above the beginnings of a beard. The design of the eyes is related to the common motif throughout the ancient Near East that eyes must be wide and attentive to show religious devotion. Size: 1.5" W x 2" H (3.8 cm x 5.1 cm); 3.5" H (8.9 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private Brooklyn, New York, USA collection, acquired from Dave Libert, Time Machine, Flushing, New York, USA, in the early 2000s

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#179591

  • Condition: Fragment of a larger piece with losses to bottom of head, beard, and neck. Expected surface wear with some nicks and natural fissures to stone, commensurate with age. Nice remaining detail. Metal sleeve adhered into head allowing it to be removed from custom stand without causing damage to the piece.

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June 29, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$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