Central Asia, modern day Pakistan / Afghanistan, Bactria, late 2nd to early 1st millennium BCE. A beautiful stone idol or ritual object hand carved in a bat-shaped form. This intriguing object features a long columnar body that abruptly tapers near the bottom, a narrow neck, and a flat discoid base. Its dark grey form is naturally embellished with specks of white and silver, creating a luminous marbled effect. Stone idols like this one are known in a variety of forms; however, their true meaning is unknown because there are no surviving written records that explicate how they were used. Were they used as objects of worship, commerce, torture, or everyday use? Whatever the case, this is a wonderful example from early Bactria! Size: 2.75" W x 25" H (7 cm x 63.5 cm)

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, purchased between the 1980s to 2000s

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#159247

Large chip missing from top. Neck and base restored from separately carved stone. Surface wear commensurate with age, including chips, nicks, and scratches. Lovely earthen deposits throughout.