Lot 115
Central Asia, Bactria-Margiana (BMAC), ca. 2nd millennium BCE. A hand-carved stone idol, made from breccia, a sedimentary rock composed of broken mineral fragments naturally cemeted together. The idol has a highly abstract, anthropomorphic form, roughly hourglass-shaped, with a wider base than top. A shallow groove runs down the center of the flat top. The stone is a mottled red, pale brown, black, and grey. Size: 4.7" W x 9.2" H (11.9 cm x 23.4 cm)
Ancient idols like this one, that reduce the human figure to a simple collection of shapes and lines, are considered some of our oldest abstract art. They fascinate us today in part because they hint at a belief system and cosmology that we can no longer access or understand. Instead, we guess at the meaning - are they fertility charms? Representations of old gods? Were they made to be carried as apotropaic charms, or simply to be placed in tombs? Their mute figures raise more questions than they answer.
For a similar example, see Lot 6 from Christie's New York sale 2450, 2011, which sold for $7500: http://www.christines.com/lotfinder/print_sale.aspx?saleid=23019&lid=3
Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection acquired before 2000
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#126235
- Condition: Small chips from base, with some larger chips to rim of upper portion. Light scratching on upper surface with two small marks from a green pen.
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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 | $2,000 |
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| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |