Kunst und Antiquitäten - Antiken, Asiatika und Russische Kunst

| 33 An Elamite appliqué of silver with bull’s head and cloisonné work with stone inlays, late 3rd - early 2nd millennium B.C. Exceptionally animated bull’s head with a finely modelled surface and pronounced ana- tomical details, such as the nostrils and eye- lids. The ears and horns worked separately, inserted into holes and soldered. Originally white stone inlay in both eye sockets, only pre- served in the left one, there with a perforation marking the pupil. The horns with a slight spi- ral coil, winding majestically upwards in an S-shaped loop. In contrast to the naturalistic depiction of the bull’s head with its organic, rounded forms, the lower part of the appliqué is a cloisonné work with strict geometric patterns joined to- gether in a complex manner. The cells contain stone inlays of different colours: blue (lapis lazuli), cream and dark. The central lozenge with lavish internal articulation of four inner lozenges, themselves divided into three zones: a central cross between two triangles. The sides of the central lozenge are each bordered by six free-standing crosses. Both parts are joined on the back by soldering on a bracket that is round at the top and trape- zoidal at the bottom. The inlays were original- ly fixed with putty, remnants of which have survived. Several of the inlays have been lost. A masterpiece of early Elamite silversmith craftsmanship and early jeweller’s art as it flourished in the ancient Near Eastern states. Extremely rare and seldom available on the market with this fine execution and complexity of design. Length 14.2 cm. Weight 66.26 g. P rovenance : From a private Rhenish collec- tion, inherited from the consignor’s father. 296136 II € 130.000 9