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THBAncient Bactrian Stone Idol - Abstract Spheroid
Lot 153
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$3,000 - $4,500
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| $20,000 | $2,500 |
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| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jan 16, 2020
Set Reminder
2020-01-16 10:00:00
2020-01-16 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Ancient | Asian | Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-asian-ethnographic-4799
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (408)
- Lot Description
Ancient Central Asia, Bactria, ca. late 3rd to early 2nd millennium BCE. An intriguing idol of an abstract, nearly-spherical form, hand-carved from beige-colored hardstone with gorgeous veining in hues of vermilion and citrine. The spheroid idol bears a shallow groove oriented lengthwise around the body, and a deeper grooved area is situated on the base for added stability. Ancient idols that reduce natural forms to simple shapes and lines - like this example - are considered some of our oldest art forms. The wide variety of forms fascinate modern scholars and archaeologists because they hint at a cosmology and belief system that we can no longer understand. A mysterious and attractive example of fine Bactrian artistry! Size: 6.5" L x 6.4" W x 6.3" H (16.5 cm x 16.3 cm x 16 cm).
Stone idols like this example are known in a variety of fascinating forms throughout the pre-literate ancient world. From the truly abstract kilia-type figures that are barely recognizable as human to the exaggerated feminine shapes of so-called "Venus" figures, people in the past, as today, had a clear desire to portray human forms and did not feel constrained by naturalism.
A stylistically-similar example, of a longer form, hammered for EUR 7,768 ($8,861.91) at Christie's, Kasteel van's-Gravenwezel, Antwerp "Axel Vervoordt, Antwerp" auction (sale 6850, May 10-12, 2004, lot 182): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-bactrian-marble-cult-object-2nd-millennium-4285154-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=4285154&sid=f1a77b79-dbcd-4400-ad1c-55234ff289da
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-private German collection, acquired in the 1970s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#148400Minor chips and abrasions to all surfaces, with light encrustations, and minor softening to some incised grooves, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits and nice root marks throughout.Condition
- Shipping Info
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