Phrygian Bronze Fibula, Arched Bow with Ribbed Shoulders, Anatolia
Anatolia, Turkey, Phrygian, ca. 800–600 BCE. A small cast bronze fibula of the Anatolian arched-bow type, its semicircular bow thickening into a collared arc with fine encircling ribs at each shoulder. One end forms a tight coiled spring from which the slender pin extends, and the other rises into a small stepped catchplate that held the pin’s point. The surface has a warm, burnished brown patina with pale earthen deposits in the moldings. Fibulae of this type fastened the heavy woolen cloaks worn in the Phrygian highlands, and their shapes were standardized enough that archaeologists use bow profile and molding spacing to date them. Small in size, the piece is complete in its mechanism. Size: 1.07" H x 1.4" W x 0.4" D (2.7 cm H x 3.6 cm W x 1.0 cm D).
The fibula is one of the signature artifacts of Iron Age Anatolia. Excavations at Gordion, the Phrygian capital on the Sangarius River, recovered them by the hundreds, including from the great tumulus long associated with the dynasty of Midas, where bronze fibulae were deposited in quantity alongside cauldrons and vessels. Oscar Muscarella's typology of these brooches, built on the Gordion material, remains the standard framework: variations in the bow's curvature, the number and profile of its knobs or moldings, and the form of the catchplate distinguish groups that spread west into Greece and east across the Assyrian frontier. Greek writers later remembered the safety-pin brooch as a foreign fashion, and the Anatolian workshops were among its most inventive producers.
Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 1998
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #204604
Condition
Pitting to surface with some nicks as shown. Pin is somewhat difficult to move. Otherwise, intact and wearable with rich patina.
Anatolia, Turkey, Phrygian, ca. 800–600 BCE. A small cast bronze fibula of the Anatolian arched-bow type, its semicircular bow thickening into a collared arc with fine encircling ribs at each shoulder. One end forms a tight coiled spring from which the slender pin extends, and the other rises into a small stepped catchplate that held the pin’s point. The surface has a warm, burnished brown patina with pale earthen deposits in the moldings. Fibulae of this type fastened the heavy woolen cloaks worn in the Phrygian highlands, and their shapes were standardized enough that archaeologists use bow profile and molding spacing to date them. Small in size, the piece is complete in its mechanism. Size: 1.07" H x 1.4" W x 0.4" D (2.7 cm H x 3.6 cm W x 1.0 cm D).
The fibula is one of the signature artifacts of Iron Age Anatolia. Excavations at Gordion, the Phrygian capital on the Sangarius River, recovered them by the hundreds, including from the great tumulus long associated with the dynasty of Midas, where bronze fibulae were deposited in quantity alongside cauldrons and vessels. Oscar Muscarella's typology of these brooches, built on the Gordion material, remains the standard framework: variations in the bow's curvature, the number and profile of its knobs or moldings, and the form of the catchplate distinguish groups that spread west into Greece and east across the Assyrian frontier. Greek writers later remembered the safety-pin brooch as a foreign fashion, and the Anatolian workshops were among its most inventive producers.
Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 1998
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #204604
Condition
Pitting to surface with some nicks as shown. Pin is somewhat difficult to move. Otherwise, intact and wearable with rich patina.
