FEATURED ITEM: Egyptian Wooden Sarcophagus Mask

October 9, 2016October 20, 2016 / baidun / Leave a comment

Egyptian Wooden Sarcophagus Mask

egyptianwoodensarcophagusmask

This ancient Egyptian wooden sarcophagus mask (as of 09 / October / 2016) is still available for sale from www.Baidun.com:

Reference: #SI_EG_1056
Civilization: Egyptian, Late Dynastic Period, 600 B.C.E.
Size: H. 49 cm
Condition: Fine condition
Price: Available upon request
Provenance: Former French private collection A. Z. 1980. French Passport # 132645
DIRECT WEB SITE LINK: http://baidun.com/wooden-sarcophagus-mask/

This phenomenal mask of a sarcophagus predates modern art by centuries, yet its incredible design stands equal to the work of our most acclaimed contemporary sculptors. The wide set eyes and smooth brow pull the viewer in and reflect a gaze separated from this world by thousands of years. The sculpture’s imposing headdress surrounds the delicate features of the face in a protective and naturally textured shroud.

Carved from wood, the artist’s skill is seen in the tiny details that make up this large piece. Preserved in the desert climate for centuries, this piece remains in excellent condition, dating from Egypt’s Late Dynastic Period.

Baidun Fine Antiquities
Jerusalem
www.Baidun.com
www.TheBaidunShop.com

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FEATURED ITEM: An Expressive Greek Head of a Satyr

October 7, 2016October 20, 2016 / baidun / Leave a comment

An Expressive Greek Head of a Satyr

greekheadofsatyr

Though this extremely fine ancient sculpture of ours has long ago been sold, we wanted to feature this item here to demonstrate the quality of extremely fine antiquities that we have been dealing in since 1927. Please visit our web site to see more of our very fine antiquities available for sale and global delivery – www.Baidun.com.

Reference: #SI_GR_1003
Civilization: Central Asia, with influence from Ghandara, 200 B.C.E. – 100 B.C.E.
Size: Ht. 24 cm
Condition: Damage to nose, chin and two locks of hair.
Price: Sold
Provenance: Private Collection R.J. 1962.
DIRECT WEB SITE LINK: http://baidun.com/an-expressive-greek-head-of-a-satyr/

The expressive face of this satyr reveals a right eye that is slightly lower than the left and a smirk carved purposefully askew. The satyr himself may be of Greek origin, yet this piece hails from central Asia, a result of the clash of cultures that arose out of Alexander the Great’s successful campaigns throughout the region.

The result was a vast melting pot of culture, art and religion that spanned the subsequent Hellenistic era of Greek history, when Greek cultural influence and power was at its zenith in Europe and Asia. At the time, this satyr’s inlaid eyes and simple braided crown were uncommon in Asian art, particularly seen in Buddhist sculptures of Siddhartha from the Gandhara region of northern Pakistan. Other examples include the famous Parthian relief from Hatra, as well as the hair and head of the Peshawar Museum’s Bodhisattva. In the years after Alexander’s conquests, the region’s sculpture incorporated such elements in the intervening years as trade and technology increased the mingling of Eastern and Western cultures, creating new currents of art and thought that still inspire us to this day.

The round face is dominated by deep holes for eyes which were originally inlaid. The root of the nose is strongly furrowed, as too is the forehead above, its series of wavy grooves mirroring the curvature of the expressive high-arched brows. Prominent cheekbones, with fleshy, rounded cheeks below; under the broad nose, full sensuous lips with dimples. To either side of the face, long, pointed ears with deep auricles. A exuberant shock of curling locks, whose individual strands are articulated with incised lines, is parted in the middle to form an anastole and spreads outwards in three luxuriant strands to frame the face.

Similarly rendered locks entirely envelope the head, wig-like, in schematically arranged rows. The sinews of the neck form a pronounced V-shape. The combination of glowering features and unruly hair impart to the head an intensely expressive quality. Encircling the crown of the head is a rope-like wreath which served as the base for an attachment, its upper surface flat to accommodate another element. Head of a statue, in all likelihood an architectural support such as a Caryatid.

Baidun Fine Antiquities
Jerusalem
www.Baidun.com www.TheBaidunShop.com