Lot 77F
Ancient Near East, South Arabia, Yemen, Kingdom of Qataban, ca. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE. A fabulous hand-carved alabaster head of a man delineated in high relief, perhaps from a funerary stele, presenting a quixotic visage comprised of gazing almond-shaped eyes beneath thin brows, a slender nose above pursed lips, and protruding rectangular ears, all atop a stocky neck. Dozens of stippled holes along the upper lip, above the chin, and along the jaw line are indicative of facial hair and imbue the head with a personalized presentation. The stylized expression as well as the elongated face and neck of this ancient work call to mind the modernist faces of Amadeo Modigliani's highly stylized, almost mask-like portraits - making for fascinating parallels between ancient and modern visual culture. Size: 5.6" W x 9.375" H (14.2 cm x 23.8 cm); 10" H (25.4 cm) on included custom stand.
During the first millennium BCE, this part of the world saw several kingdoms - Qataban, Saba (Sheba), and Himyar - emerge that had built their wealth upon desert trade and in particular frankincense and myrrh. The people of these kingdoms created figural representations from alabaster and other stones, including stele with high relief faces honoring the deceased like this one.
A stylistically-similar example, of a slightly-larger size with similar facial hair stippling, hammered for $27,500 at Christie's, New York Antiquities auction (sale 3403, December 11, 2014, lot 84): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/a-south-arabian-alabaster-head-of-a-5859192-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5859192&sid=5650d777-6e48-4f0e-b25d-d44709139139
Provenance: ex-private Texas, USA collection, acquired over 20 years ago by late husband
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#145126
- Condition: Losses to areas of peripheries, neck, and nose, with abrasions and expected surface wear commensurate with age, with small nicks to brows, ears, and forehead, softening to some finer details, and light encrustations. Nice earthen deposits throughout.
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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 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |