Description:

**Originally Listed At $800**

Ancient Central Asia, Bactrian, ca. late 3rd to 2nd millennium BCE. An attractive jar of a round-bottomed form with a sloping shoulder, a squat rim, and a shallow interior cavity, hand-carved from a single piece of banded agate which presents cream, crimson, burgundy, lime, forest-green, and citrine hues. The thick-walled composition is meticulously drilled out using a series of progressively finer bits and copious amounts of abrasive sand, and the exterior surfaces are polished to a smooth texture. Polished stone vessels are common grave goods from this time period. Based on ancient evidence, we believe that a small vessel like this probably held something of value for depositing in a tomb. Given their impressive aesthetic qualities as well as the fact that archaeologists have typically found them in temple, grave, and palace sites, jars like this one must have been regarded as precious objects themselves. Size: 3.1" W x 2.4" H (7.9 cm x 6.1 cm).

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#146609

  • Condition: Small chips and abrasions to base, body, and rim, with light encrustations, otherwise intact and excellent. Light earthen deposits throughout.

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October 17, 2019 8:00 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