124 - A HALLSTATT BRONZE SPECTACLE FIBULA, LATE BRONZE AGE, 12TH-8TH CENTURY BC

A HALLSTATT BRONZE SPECTACLE FIBULA, LATE BRONZE AGE, 12TH-8TH CENTURY BC Skillfully formed from a single length of square-section wire, coiled into two large opposing spirals joined by an elongated vertical loop. Provenance: Collection of Acher Eskenasy, Paris, France, acquired from a Munich antiquarian in the 2000s. Martin Doustar, Brussels, Belgium, acquired from the above. Acher Eskenasy is a noted French scholar and collector of Asian and tribal art. Major works previously owned by him are now in important collections and museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. Martin Doustar is a Brussels-based art dealer and collector whose career spans more than two decades. He began his professional journey in the early 2000s with a focus on Modern Art, developing a keen interest in the ways early twentieth-century artists were influenced by ‘primitive’ art from Africa and Oceania. Over time, his connoisseurship expanded into archaeological and ethnographic fields, with particular expertise in the ancient arts of the Pacific, Africa, and pre-Columbian America, while also encompassing Asian material culture and modern masterpieces. He is the author of numerous scholarly catalogs and has organized thematic exhibitions on a wide range of subjects. Condition: Excellent condition with expected wear and casting irregularities. The bronze with a fine, naturally grown patina with vibrant malachite encrustations. Weight: 259.2 g (excl. stand), 479.5 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 14.4 cm (incl. stand), Length 16.8 cm (excl. stand) With an associated metal stand. (2) Spectacle fibulae are formed from a continuous length of bronze wire wound into two spirals, often linked by a figure-of-eight element, with the ends forming the pin and catch. Originating within the Hallstatt cultural sphere of central Europe, they became widely distributed and locally imitated across the Balkans, the Danubian region, and northern Greece, as well as along the western Adriatic coast and in southern Italy, from the beginning of the first millennium BC onwards. Archaeological evidence indicates that such ornaments were commonly worn in pairs, fastened at the shoulders to secure the garment. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Italic bronze double-spiral fibula, dated 10th-9th century BC, 11.8 cm long, in the British Museum, registration number 2009,5020.1. Compare a closely related Italic bronze spectacle fibula, dated 10th-7th century BC, 15 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 37.11.18. Compare a related European copper alloy armband with spirals, dated 14th-12th century BC, 13.5 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2007.498.5. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams London, 16 April 2015, lot 85 Mid-Estimate: GBP 4,000 or approx. EUR 6,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A European geometric bronze armlet, Carpathian, Middle Bronze Age, circa 1600-1200 BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, modeling, and manner of casting. Note the earlier dating and similar size (14.5 cm).