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A GROUP OF FOUR EARLY ISLAMIC BRONZE COSMETIC MORTARS, CIRCA 7TH-12TH CENTURY
奥地利
09月10日 下午5点 开拍 / 09月08日 下午3点 截止委托
拍品描述

Description

A GROUP OF FOUR EARLY ISLAMIC BRONZE COSMETIC MORTARS, CIRCA 7TH-12TH CENTURY
This lot is a museum deaccession and is therefore offered without reserve

Western Asia, probably Persia. Each finely cast with a hemispherical body and long narrow spout, one supported on a short biconical stem raised on a wide spreading foot, the everted rim set with a handle in the form of a crouching animal; another with irregular protrusions extending from the rim; a third with short flanges and a loop handle; and the fourth with a straight rim and two short flanges. (4)

Provenance: Galerie Hardt (established in 1976), Radevormwald, Germany, before 2020. Acquired by the gallery’s founder Peter Hardt (b. 1946) during his extensive travels in Asia, the first of which occurred during a formative world tour in 1973. Throughout his storied career, Peter Kienzle-Hardt organized countless exhibitions and participated in major international art fairs. He made many important contacts during this time and eventually met the Kienzle siblings, who shared his passion for Asian art and culture. A strong bond and deep friendship developed, ultimately leading to the creation of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst decades later in 2014. While the museum’s permanent exhibition predominantly comprised pieces from the Kienzle Family Collection, Peter Kienzle-Hardt supplemented it with objects from his own collection. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Overall very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, traces of use, signs of weathering and erosion, few thin small cracks, old minor losses to edges. All with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina, one with extensive malachite and cuprite encrustations.

Weight: 289 g (total)
Dimensions: Length 7.4-11.2 cm

Mortars of this type, distinguished by a small central well, flanged handles, and an elongated horizontal spout, have long intrigued scholars and collectors alike. Examples have been unearthed in some of the great cities of antiquity and the early Islamic world, including Antioch, one of the most important cities of the Greco-Roman world and later a regional capital of both the Roman and Byzantine Empires, which changed hands multiple times during the Byzantine-Arab wars (7th–11th centuries); Ctesiphon, the opulent seat of the Parthian and later Sasanian Empires, known for its monumental arch and cosmopolitan culture; and Nishapur, a flourishing Silk Road hub under the Sasanids, Islamic Caliphates, and Seljuks, famed for its ceramics, scholars, and refined urban life.

The precise function of these vessels remains a subject of debate. Theories have ranged from oil lamps to feeding devices for infants, but the most compelling interpretation points to a more specialized use in the preparation and transfer of cosmetic or medicinal substances. The hemispherical body may have functioned as a shallow mortar, ideal for grinding fragrant resins, mineral pigments, or scented oils. Once prepared, the mixture could be poured cleanly through the narrow spout into small flasks or ampullae, minimizing waste and allowing for precise transfer. This utilitarian yet elegant design speaks to the sophistication of daily life in antiquity, where beauty and practicality often went hand in hand. Minimizing waste and allowing for precise transfer. This utilitarian yet elegant design speaks to the sophistication of daily life in antiquity, where beauty and practicality often went hand in hand.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Islamic cosmetic mortar, excavated in 1935-1939 from Antioch, Syria, described as an “Oil Filler for a Lamp”, dated 7th-12th century, and now in the Harvard Art Museums, object number 1939.134. Compare a closely related cosmetic mortar, excavated in 1931-1932 from Ctesiphon, Iraq, described as a “Dropper, Sasanian or Islamic” and dated ca. 7th-8th century and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 32.150.202. Compare a closely related cosmetic mortar, excavated in 1969-1970 by David Whitehouse in Siraf, Iran, and now in the British Museum, registration number 2007,6001.14209.

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价格信息

拍品估价:150 - 300 欧元 起拍价格:100 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

拍卖公司

Galerie Zacke
地址: Sterngasse 13, 1010 Vienna, Austria
电话: 0043-1-5320452
邮编: 1070
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