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A BRONZE CUP DEPICTING A COURTLY SCENE WITH KING AND ATTENDANTS, SASANIAN EMPIRE, CIRCA 4TH-5TH CENTURY
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12月16日 晚上6点 开拍 /6天17小时
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Description

A BRONZE CUP DEPICTING A COURTLY SCENE WITH KING AND ATTENDANTS, SASANIAN EMPIRE, CIRCA 4TH-5TH CENTURY

Persia (present-day Iran). Heavily cast, the cup standing on a splayed foot, its deep sides tapering towards a slightly everted rim. The exterior finely decorated in high relief with a double court scene, each centered by the king, seated cross-legged in regal composure upon a throne adorned with griffin heads, beneath which reclines a tiger. The monarch, richly attired, depicted with a luxuriant beard and long wavy hair cascading over his shoulders, secured by a distinctive crown and framed by a large nimbus. Flanking him on either side are two female attendants, dressed in loose-fitting robes, their heads encircled by halos as they gesture reverently towards the ruler.

Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, with extensive surface wear and casting irregularities. Expected traces of use, with scattered small nicks and light surface scratches, mostly to the interior. The bronze surface, with an attractive patina including some vibrant malachite-green areas, was professionally cleaned and varnished circa 30-40 years ago to ensure its preservation.

Weight: 1,960.5 g
Dimensions: Height 17.3 cm

The nomadic gold- and silversmiths of Marlik and Amlash represent the earliest masters of precious metalwork in ancient Iran, celebrated for their intricate craftsmanship. Their heritage was carried forward by the bronze workers of Luristan and by the accomplished silversmiths of the Achaemenian and Sasanian empires, whose works often featured depictions of rulers and regal imagery, as exemplified by the present lot, reflecting the early use of art to convey authority and social status.

The Sasanian dynasty of Iran ruled an area from the Euphrates River to Bactria from the third century A.D. until the Islamic conquest in the seventh century, controlling for much of that time the Silk Route from Byzantium to China.

The present bronze vase depicting a Sasanian king is an exquisite example of Sasanian metalwork. The powerful stare and characteristic arched nose of the king seem to suggest that the artist was attempting to convey a sense of majesty rather than an individual likeness. The identity of the subject of such representations, in relief or in the round, can often be determined by comparison of facial features and details of the crown with those of kings portrayed on Sasanian coins of the period.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related but much earlier bronze beaker with archer and bull, Luristan (present-day Iran), c. 10th-9th century BC, 13.2 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 48.178.1. Compare a related silver head of a king, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), c. 4th century, 40 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 65.126. Compare a related bronze bust, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), 4th century, in the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, Sweden, inventory number BEK 1960.04. Compare a related silver plate with king hunting rams, Sasanian Empire (present-day Iran), c. mid-5th to mid-6th century, 21.9 cm diameter, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 34.33.

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拍品估价:2,000 - 4,000 欧元 起拍价格:2,000 欧元  买家佣金: 30.00%

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