Description:

Ancient Central Asia, Bactria, ca. 2nd millennium BCE. A tall and beautiful vase of a cylindrical form with a flat base, a lightly-corseted body, a deep drilled-out interior cavity, and an everted rim. The vessel is skillfully carved from creamy honey-yellow alabaster with natural light-brown, dark-brown, and cream-hued veining coursing throughout the composition. Alabaster is a material prized by sculptors because of its relative softness and ease for being shaped. The translucency of the stone also provides for a wonderful aesthetic, and the veins within are illuminated when held against a bright light. Size: 4.6" W x 7.8" H (11.7 cm x 19.8 cm).

A stylistically-similar example of a larger size hammered for $18,000 at Christie's, New York Antiquities auction (sale 1846, June 8, 2007, lot 56): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-bactrian-alabaster-vessel-circa-late-3rd-early-4921170-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=4921170&sid=e513d875-563b-41f8-8f4a-41288487e298

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private Hirsch collection, Germany

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#146134

  • Condition: Small area of repair to top of rim. Minor chips to rim and base, with light encrustations across interior and exterior. Nice earthen deposits throughout. Old inventory label beneath base.

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May 22, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000