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THBAncient Tell Brak Banded Alabaster Eye Idol
Lot 104
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
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$3,500 - $5,250
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Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Oct 25, 2018
Set Reminder
2018-10-25 11:00:00
2018-10-25 11:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy, Asia
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/antiquities-from-egypt-greece-italy-asia-3538
Featuring Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, plus Asian art from Central and Far East. If you love the classics, this is the sale for you. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, plus Asian art from Central and Far East. If you love the classics, this is the sale for you. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (395)
- Lot Description
Ancient Near East, Tell Brak, modern Syria, Late Uruk Period, ca. 3300 to 3000 BCE. A beautiful and abstract eye idol, hand-carved from a creamy banded alabaster using drills and string cutting. One of the most famous artifact types from early Mesopotamia, it has a bell-shaped body surmounted by two conjoined, perforated circles which form the "eyes." Eye idols were named in the 1930s by the British archaeologist Max Mallowan when he was excavating at the mound called Tell Brak and found hundreds of small anthropomorphic items of similar form to this one - some kind of simplified body topped by huge discs for eyes and no other discernible facial features. He named the place where he found them "The Temple of the Eyes." Size: 2.9" W x 3.375" H (7.4 cm x 8.6 cm).
More recently, items like this one have been found beyond the Temple of the Eyes, leading French archaeologist Catherine Breniquet to speculate that examples like this one could have also been used for separating wool while spinning. The object would have been placed in front of a seated person who used the holes to separate two or three strands and then twist them together. Artwork on cylinder seals from Uruk seems to support this hypothesis. Other scholars have suggested they might have been lids for narrow jars or parts of a firedog. What do you think this mysterious object might have been?
A similar example hammered for GBP 8,125 ($10.796.48) at Christie's, London, South Kensington Antiquities Auction (sale 5488, October 7, 2010, lot 66): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/a-syrian-white-stone-spectacle-idol-tell-5358330-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5358330&sid=62a5efd7-9321-4589-a56d-0f74f76056ea
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
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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#133202Body repaired from a few large pieces with small chips around eyes and along break lines. Small areas of restoration underneath one eye and around body. Surface wear and light abrasions commensurate with age, light yellowing to white marble color, and small nicks to eyes, body, and base. Light earthen deposits within recessed areas.Condition
- Shipping Info
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All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
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