99 - Iberian votive offering, 6th–5th centuries B.C.

Iberian votive offering, 6th–5th centuries B.C. Bronze. Measurements: 7.4 cm high. Provenance: Family bequest of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Archaeological collection assembled beginning in the 1950s by successive generations of the family through acquisitions at European galleries and auction houses. This piece previously belonged to the E.M. private collection in Paris, where it was acquired in the 1960s. Iberian bronze votive offering dating from the 6th to 5th centuries B.C., in the style of full relief, with a highly stylized body shaped like a sharp, pointed blade, atop which the head—carved in half-relief—stands out at the top. The Iberians settled in the eastern and southern parts of the Iberian Peninsula, maintaining a culture and customs very different from those of the inland peoples. Given the vastness of their territory, which extended as far as southern France, this people was influenced by various cultures, most notably the Phoenicians at first and, later, the Greeks. Iberian society was highly hierarchical, with the warrior and noble class at the top. The priestly class rivaled it in power, and artisans were also held in high regard.