Lot 883
Two duck sculptures made of hematite, ancient Near East, mid-2nd millennium B.C.
Works of Art, Antiquities & Ancient Art | A109kua | Live auction | 1190 Lots
Description
Two stone carvings in haematite, depicting ducks in a resting or sleeping position with the neck and head turned backwards. Using as weights is regularly suggested in the specialist literature. The larger piece with a taller, broader and more puffed-up plumage over the body, the tail very reduced, depicted by a blunt taper at the rear, head, neck and broad bill clearly but likewise minimalistically rendered without detail. Flat base. Length 3.3 cm. Height 2.2 cm. Weight 22.73 gr. The smaller example with somewhat more concrete forms. The tail plumage slightly fan-shaped and widened at the rear. The body overall flatter, the eyes on the head marked by small incised circles. Between neck and body a perforation, so that the piece could be worn on a cord. The bottom slightly concave, offering no flat base. Length 3.2 cm. Height 1.3 cm. Weight 30.1 gr. Only for the first piece is using as a weight truly plausible, while for the second other purposes are also conceivable, e.g. a pendant. CULTURAL ASSET!Provenance: A private collection in southern Germany, from the estate of the collector’s grandfather. The works were purchased by him at art fairs and in galleries between the 1980s and 1990s.
Condition: I - Questions about the lot?
