Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Ancient Near East, Phoenician, Byblos, Iron Age, ca. 800 BCE. An impressive and rare bronze figure of a bare-chested female standing with a serpent coiled around her legs. She holds either the head or tail of the snake in one hand, while the other rests on her stomach, just below her prominent round breasts. A slender necklace encircles her long neck, mimicking the motion of the snake as she gazes forward from petite eyes beneath straight brows. The identity of this figure is unknown. While the best-known Phoenician fertility goddess is Astarte (Ishtar), she was not commonly associated with a snake cult. Size: 1" W x 3.4""H (2.5 cm x 8.6 cm)

A nearly identical bronze sculpture can be found in the Mercer University Research, Scholarship, and Archives under identifier 2016-HC10B-001.

Provenance: private Rockford, Illinois, USA collection, acquired in the 2000s

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#178347

  • Condition: Expected nicks and abrasions as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with liberal remaining detail. Rich patina and earthen deposits to surface.

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May 11, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
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