Gorgeous Bactrian Carved Lapis Lazuli Handled Cup
Ancient Central Asia, Bactria, ca. 1000 BCE. A finely-carved lapis lazuli cup with a cylindrical body and single looped handle, most impressive for its saturated royal blue hues. In addition to being used to create beautiful jewelry, lapis lazuli was also used by the ancients to carve more practical objects such as game boards, stamps, hair combs, dagger handles, bowls, and cups like this example. During ancient times, merchants delivered lapis from the mines of Bactria via caravan and trade routes to cities in Greece, Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, China, Japan, and Persia . In 1271, Marco Polo wrote about the lapis mines in Bactria; however, not too many knew about them because of the treacherous terrain. Size: 2.5" in diameter x 2.625" H (6.4 cm x 6.7 cm); 3.375" W (8.6 cm) from handle
The ancient mines of Bactria were a valuable source of lapis lazuli of the best color. Lapis was used to carve statuettes of birds and animals as well as dishes, cylinder seals, and beads that have been found in the royal Sumerian tombs of Ur - and jewelry made from lapis was found in Egyptian burial sites dating prior to 3000 BCE. Egyptian women used powdered lapis as eye shadow, and Pliny the Elder waxed poetic about the stone, describing it as "a fragment of the starry firmament."
Provenance: private California, USA collection, purchased near the Iran/Afghanistan border in the 1960s and brought to the US in 1966-1969
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 to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#149142
Condition Report: Hemispheric section (rim to mid body) reattached with stable radiating fissures. Minute old nicks to rim. Nick by one side of handle may date to when the cup was carved. Otherwise generally excellent and so finely carved with a remarkably smooth finish inside and out.
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Ancient Central Asia, Bactria, ca. 1000 BCE. A finely-carved lapis lazuli cup with a cylindrical body and single looped handle, most impressive for its saturated royal blue hues. In addition to being used to create beautiful jewelry, lapis lazuli was also used by the ancients to carve more practical objects such as game boards, stamps, hair combs, dagger handles, bowls, and cups like this example. During ancient times, merchants delivered lapis from the mines of Bactria via caravan and trade routes to cities in Greece, Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, China, Japan, and Persia . In 1271, Marco Polo wrote about the lapis mines in Bactria; however, not too many knew about them because of the treacherous terrain. Size: 2.5" in diameter x 2.625" H (6.4 cm x 6.7 cm); 3.375" W (8.6 cm) from handle
The ancient mines of Bactria were a valuable source of lapis lazuli of the best color. Lapis was used to carve statuettes of birds and animals as well as dishes, cylinder seals, and beads that have been found in the royal Sumerian tombs of Ur - and jewelry made from lapis was found in Egyptian burial sites dating prior to 3000 BCE. Egyptian women used powdered lapis as eye shadow, and Pliny the Elder waxed poetic about the stone, describing it as "a fragment of the starry firmament."
Provenance: private California, USA collection, purchased near the Iran/Afghanistan border in the 1960s and brought to the US in 1966-1969
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 to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#149142
Condition Report: Hemispheric section (rim to mid body) reattached with stable radiating fissures. Minute old nicks to rim. Nick by one side of handle may date to when the cup was carved. Otherwise generally excellent and so finely carved with a remarkably smooth finish inside and out.
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