Anatolian Marble Kilia Idol Head
**Originally Listed At $175**
Ancient Near East, Anatolia, Turkey, Early Bronze Age II, ca. 2800 to 2200 BCE. A graceful hand-carved marble head of an extremely simplified anthropomorphic form. A thin neck rises up then flares to a 'v' shape with a rounded top. The focus is the pointed nose at the center, from where the carved strokes draw back, making the nose appear tilted upward. Kilia statues are characterized by bulbous heads like this example, long necks, and flat bodies with wide, flipper-like arms. When first made, the faces would have had painted eyes and other details. Their abstract nature suggests that perhaps naturalism was not the objective for ancient sculptors; interestingly, this abstraction resonates with modern art. Archaeologists have interpreted these figures as female and call them "stargazers" because their heads are tilted upwards. Size: 2.5" W x 2.25" H (6.4 cm x 5.7 cm); 3.25" H (8.3 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, ex-NYC Gallery, ex-Ariadne Gallery, New York, USA, acquired in the early 1980s
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.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#157282
Condition Report: Heavy encrustation on top and backside, but the shape of the head is nicely preserved and excellent. Small nicks to edges commensurate with age. Head is a fragment from a larger statue.
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**Originally Listed At $175**
Ancient Near East, Anatolia, Turkey, Early Bronze Age II, ca. 2800 to 2200 BCE. A graceful hand-carved marble head of an extremely simplified anthropomorphic form. A thin neck rises up then flares to a 'v' shape with a rounded top. The focus is the pointed nose at the center, from where the carved strokes draw back, making the nose appear tilted upward. Kilia statues are characterized by bulbous heads like this example, long necks, and flat bodies with wide, flipper-like arms. When first made, the faces would have had painted eyes and other details. Their abstract nature suggests that perhaps naturalism was not the objective for ancient sculptors; interestingly, this abstraction resonates with modern art. Archaeologists have interpreted these figures as female and call them "stargazers" because their heads are tilted upwards. Size: 2.5" W x 2.25" H (6.4 cm x 5.7 cm); 3.25" H (8.3 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, ex-NYC Gallery, ex-Ariadne Gallery, New York, USA, acquired in the early 1980s
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.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#157282
Condition Report: Heavy encrustation on top and backside, but the shape of the head is nicely preserved and excellent. Small nicks to edges commensurate with age. Head is a fragment from a larger statue.
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