75 - A RARE AND MONUMENTAL LIMESTONE HEAD OF A BULL, ANCIENT KINGDOM OF SABA, CIRCA 500 BC

A RARE AND MONUMENTAL LIMESTONE HEAD OF A BULL, ANCIENT KINGDOM OF SABA, CIRCA 500 BC South Arabia. Boldly carved as the head of a bull, the massive, elongated muzzle rounded at the tip and pierced with nostrils, beneath large almond-shaped eyes framed by finely ribbed brows and pronounced lower folds. The forehead is centered by a triangular field of deeply incised, sweeping locks, surmounted by short horns carved with transverse rings and flanked by projecting, folded ears. Provenance: With Heidi Vollmoeller, Zurich, Switzerland. The private collection of Dr. Athanasios C. Ghertsos, Greek Consul in Zurich, acquired from the above, c. 1977-1978, and thence by descent to his daughter, Eleonora Frey née Ghertsos. A copy of a provenance statement, written and signed by Eleonora Frey née Ghertsos, confirming the provenance above, accompanies the lot. Heidi Vollmoeller (1916-2004) was a pioneering Zurich antiquities dealer and one of the first women to establish herself in the field in the early 1950s. Her renowned gallery on Bahnhofstrasse supplied important collectors and international museums, with works formerly handled by her now held in institutions including the J. Paul Getty Museum and Corning Museum of Glass. Dr. Athanasios C. Ghertsos was the Greek Honorary Consul in Zurich and a noted collector of antiquities and coins. Works from his collection have entered institutional collections, including the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection in Athens. Ghertsos was also a longtime supporter of filmmaker Gregory J. Markopoulos and provided financial support to the Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Obvious losses, mainly to the adjoining stone. Expected wear, weathering and erosion, remnants of pigmented encrustations near the eyes, and scattered deposits. Weight: 25.1 kg Dimensions: Height 35 cm The bull occupied a central place in Sabaean religious imagery and ritual. It was closely associated with Almaqah, the national deity of Saba and lord of the great Awam sanctuary at Marib. Sabaean inscriptions even refer to Almaqah as the “Bull of Ba'lum,” an epithet reflecting the animal's associations with power and fertility. Bulls were also among the animals dedicated at Awam, demonstrating that their significance extended beyond symbolism. The bull likewise played an active role in Sabaean sacrificial practice, as inscriptions from Awam record the sacrifice of bulls. Against this ritual background, the present monumental head gives imposing sculptural form to an animal deeply embedded in Sabaean cult and closely associated with divine power. The monumental scale of the present head sets it apart from the considerably smaller bull protomes and stelae that survive in much greater numbers. Its substantial projection and remains of the adjoining stone support its interpretation as an architectural protome, possibly once incorporated into a pillar base or altar within an important cultic setting. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's London, 7 December 2021, lot 21 Price: GBP 44,100 or approx. EUR 66,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large South Arabian limestone libation table spout, 3 rd century BC-1 st century AD Expert remark: Compare the closely related limestone medium, South Arabian origin, and bull-head form. Note the different function as a libation table spout and that the dimensions (20.2 x 24 x 42 cm) refer to the complete spout rather than the bull's head alone. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 7 December 2021, lot 7 Price: GBP 50,400 or approx. EUR 74,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A South Arabian alabaster bull stele, Qataban, 3rd century BC-1st century AD Expert remark: Compare the bull-head form with elongated muzzle, almond-shaped eyes, and strongly articulated brows. Note the size of the whole stele (35.2 cm), as well as the different function as a funerary stele, alabaster medium, Qatabanian origin, and later dating. Due to length restriction on Drouot this entry is shortened. For full description please visit www.zacke.at.