Description:

Central Asia, Bactria, ca. 1000 BCE. A cast bronze pair of ibexes with long, thin front legs, a long thin body connected at the center, and two simplified heads with huge curved horns rising from their tops. This was likely part of an attachment, perhaps from a chariot. Ibexes are a fascinating element of Central Asian iconography. They suggest a cultural connection to the lands to their west, specifically to places like Luristan and the Kingdom of Elam, where the ibex seems to have been a sacred animal associated with fertility and virility. Whether or not the people of Central Asia were familiar with ibexes is unclear. There are ibexes in the region today, but they are not native to the area and we do not have a good idea of how far artisans might have traveled to observe them. The abstract portrayal of the animals may be because the artists were familiar with them only via art from the west. Size: 4.75" W x 2.75" H (12.1 cm x 7 cm); 3.25" H (8.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-private New York, New York, USA collection, acquired from the Noah Weber collection, and acquired by inheritance in the 1980s

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#143880

  • Condition: Intact, with beautiful turquoise patina, lightly mottled.

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February 21, 2019 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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