Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Ancient Near East, Mesopotamia or northern Levant, ca. 3rd millennium BCE. A beautiful banded brown and coral-colored zoomorphic pendant in the form of a heavy-bodied quadruped with a large head and wide tail - comparison to similar artifacts suggests that it is either a bull, cow, sheep, or ram. On the shoulder is a pierced area for suspension. Size: 1.45" L x 0.8" W (3.7 cm x 2 cm)

Pendants like these are often found in children's graves in this region, as at the site of Tell Rad Shaqrah. Most are made of shell, with a few made of stone or frit (quartz, lime, and copper). Children were buried within settlements (rather than in a cemetery), and children older than five were accompanied by ceramic vessels and jewelry like this. This pendant probably had an apotropaic function, designed to protect the child on his or her journey to the afterlife.

Provenance: Ex-California Museum of Ancient Art

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#120975

  • Condition: Slight signs of wear around pierced area.

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March 27, 2017 10:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000