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THBGreek Cypriot Bronze Bull Skull Applique
Lot 28a
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 - $5,000
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| $300 | $50 |
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| $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
Feb 21, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-02-21 10:00:00
2019-02-21 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-3858
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (472)
- Lot Description
Mediterranean Greek world, Cyprus, Classical Period, ca. 5th century CE. An incredibly rare cast bronze applique in the form of a bull skull, its forehead and antlers wrapped with a floral garland. The skull itself is naturalistic, with empty eye sockets, a long jaw bone, and a deep nasal cavity. Two curved and sharply pointed horns project from the sides of the head. The back of the applique is hollow, and this figure was likely made to decorate a vessel, chest, or piece of furniture. Depictions of animal skulls are rare in the classical world, but bull-skull masks have a history in the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. Size: 3.2" W x 4.95" H (8.1 cm x 12.6 cm); 6.5" H (16.5 cm) on included custom stand.
Bucrania - bull heads - were very popular throughout the ancient world, celebrating the ritual religious practice of sacrificing bulls as well as the symbolism of the bull as a virile, powerful animal. In Cyprus, the bull symbolized the god of fertility from at least the 3rd millennium BCE, and bucrania appear on documents and models of sanctuaries. Similar iconography is found from Minoan Crete (the minotaur!) and the ancient Near East, as at Megiddo. The use of bull skulls is rare, but for example, there are worked bull skulls that seem to have been turned into masks found at Toumba tou Skourou (northwestern Cyprus) and Kition (southern coast of Cyprus). Terracotta figures depicting masked men wearing bull skull masks have also been found throughout Cyprus.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-CNG Auction (sale 79, September, 2008, lot 1536); ex-private American collection, acquired in the 1960s
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.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#142203Excellent condition with light deposits on surface and pretty grey-green patina. Light surface wear commensurate with age.Condition
- Shipping Info
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