Mesopotamian Alabaster Elephant amulet - 6.5×8×2.5 cm - (1)

TITLE: Elephant amulet CULTURE: Sumerian, Mesopotamian PERIOD: Circa 3300 – 2900 BC MATERIAL: Alabaster DIMENSIONS: Length 8 cm; Height 6. 5 cm PROVENANCE: Private collection Hampshire, Great Britain. 1980's. CONDITION: Good state of preservation, restored in the face. DESCRIPTION: Animal carved in round lump with slightly marked contours but with a good representation of the shapes and anatomical details (incisions for the legs and head, well-rounded volumes for body shape, etc.) . The perforation indicates that this piece served as an amulet: that it was surely made to carry with it a necklace or deposited as a votive offering in a temple chapel. Bovids, caprids and felines are probably the most represented animals in the Mesopotamian world by artists of the time. Although copies similar to these amulets have been found in the form of rabbit or hare, birds or other animals such as insects, monkeys or bears. Given the naturalistic nature of the work, it reflects the proximity and complicity of the inhabitants and artists of ancient Mesopotamia between the natural world towards them, with the ability to observe and reproduce it in detail. BIBLIOGRAPHY : -\t. Animaux d’art et d’histoire : Bestiaire des collections genevoises, Geneva, 2000. p. 194. Notes: The piece includes authenticity certificate. The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union) - If the piece is destined outside the European Union a substitution of the export permit should be requested. This process could take between 1 and 2 months. The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.