Description:

Central Asia, Bactria (Bactria Margiana / BMAC), ca. 3rd to 2nd millennium BCE. A pair of finely-made stone cups, one shallower and wider, while the other is taller and thinner. Both have thick bases and thin walls and were carved from the soft grey stone called chlorite, which is similar to steatite. Size of wider: 4.8" W x 2.5" H (12.2 cm x 6.4 cm); size of taller: 3.75" W x 4" H (9.5 cm x 10.2 cm)

Bactrian vessels were commonly made from this grey stone, made of a type of stone widely available in Oman that was traded north through Arabia, the Gulf, Iran, Baluchistan, and Pakistan. Archaeologists believe that these cups were traded not just as vessels, but for what they held, including unguents, cosmetics, oils, and perfumes.

Provenance: Ex-Private East Coast, USA Collection

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#120484

  • Condition: Both have chips to rim. Interior of the wider one is scored and scratched.

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April 17, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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