SABAEAN ALABASTER HEAD
SOUTHERN ARABIA, 3RD – 1ST CENTURY B.C.
Estimate: £1,200 - £1,800
Auction: 13 March 2025 from 13:00 GMT
Description
alabaster, carved in high-relief, the subject likely male, with ridge nose, subtly upturned mouth and broad brow, raised on a modern bespoke mount, also accompanied by its original mid-century wooden base
Dimensions
23cm tall
Provenance
Private collection, United Kingdom, the older wooden base is suggestive of an acquisition prior to the mid-20th century
Footnote
With its cubist aesthetic, the present piece is an example of the enigmatic sculpture produced by the wealthy south Arabian kingdoms at the turn of the first millennium B.C. With the facial features stripped to the essence of form, it served as a votive object, and was intended to fit within a small rectangular niche within a ritual site.
For similar please see; The British Museum, London, accession number 141546.