Description:

Near East, Mesopotamia, ca. 1st millennium BCE. This is a small pottery mask depicting a man's face with textured hair, the characteristic wide eyes of other Mesopotamian human figures, and a thin, drooping mustache. Despite the stylized features, the mustache gives this mask the look of a unique individual. When it was first made, the mask would likely have been painted and used in ritualized performances of the king or the priesthood. The face is very reminiscent of a ceramic male head statue held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Size: 1.5" L x 4" W x 4.5" H (3.8 cm x 10.2 cm x 11.4 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Robert Pearson, ex-private NYC collection, acquired from Henry Anavian, 1980s

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#110171

  • Condition: Minor chipping, and one approximately 1" flake off of the side of the nose.

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February 16, 2016 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
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$5,000 $9,999 $500
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$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
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$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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