Description:

Ancient Near East, probably Neo-Assyrian period, ca. 800 to 600 BCE. A mold-made terracotta head with the grotesque features of Pazuzu, the king of the demons of the wind in the Assyrian and Babylonian religion. His head is often meant to be a combination of lion and dog. Here he has a piercing gaze (the detail of the eyes is wonderful) and an open, tooth-fill mouth in a skull-like face with a zoomorphic nose and elongated, ridged neck. Pazuzu is often invoked in apotropaic circumstances, especially relating to women and childbirth, and a small votive head like this one may have been held near a woman in labor, intended to protect her from the female demon Lamashtu. Size: 1.9" L x 1.75" W x 3.2" H (4.8 cm x 4.4 cm x 8.1 cm)

Provenance: private New Jersey USA collection, acquired over twenty years ago

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#121549

  • Condition: Well done, difficult to see repair from two large pieces. Losses to top of head and goatee.

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June 8, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
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$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
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