Rare Miniature Tell Brak Stone Votive - Seated Bear
Ancient Near East, Tell Brak, modern day Syria, ca. 3500 to 3300 BCE. An incredible polished miniature votive stone bear, a very ancient depiction of the brown bears who now live in isolated areas of the Middle East and Turkey but once had a wider distribution throughout the area. Carved from a warm brown banded stone, the bear sits in a human-like pose, as if seated with his knees drawn up, his heavy paws resting on each of his lower legs. The head of the bear is similarly powerful, with a large snout and two small ears poking up from the top of the head. Size: 1.15" W x 1.5" H (2.9 cm x 3.8 cm)
Sir Max Mallowan, the principle excavator at Tell Brak, found large numbers of seated bear figures near the famous Eye Temple, and theorized that they were carved based on knowledge of real bears, who may have been common in the area around the temple.
Provenance: private East Coast collection, New York, USA; ex-East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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.
#152930
Condition Report: One ear is partially lost, otherwise in nice condition with rich deposits over much of the surface and form clear.
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Ancient Near East, Tell Brak, modern day Syria, ca. 3500 to 3300 BCE. An incredible polished miniature votive stone bear, a very ancient depiction of the brown bears who now live in isolated areas of the Middle East and Turkey but once had a wider distribution throughout the area. Carved from a warm brown banded stone, the bear sits in a human-like pose, as if seated with his knees drawn up, his heavy paws resting on each of his lower legs. The head of the bear is similarly powerful, with a large snout and two small ears poking up from the top of the head. Size: 1.15" W x 1.5" H (2.9 cm x 3.8 cm)
Sir Max Mallowan, the principle excavator at Tell Brak, found large numbers of seated bear figures near the famous Eye Temple, and theorized that they were carved based on knowledge of real bears, who may have been common in the area around the temple.
Provenance: private East Coast collection, New York, USA; ex-East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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.
#152930
Condition Report: One ear is partially lost, otherwise in nice condition with rich deposits over much of the surface and form clear.
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Time, Location
Auction House
