Rare Anatolian Marble Stargazer Torso
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Description
Asia Minor, modern-day western Turkey, Anatolia, ca. 3200 to 2300 BCE. A carved marble stargazer torso with incised arm demarcations. Marble is off white in color with some beige and russet deposits. Custom stand. Size: 1.625" W x 1.75" H (4.1 cm x 4.4 cm); 4.875" H (12.4 cm) on stand
Kilia idols can date as early as 4500 to 4000 BCE, and are precursors to Cycladic sculpture of ancient Greece. Their name derives from their place of origin, purportedly in the Gallipoli Peninsula from the Greek village of Kilia in modern-day western Turkey. These marble fragments of Kilia-type sculpture are usually called “stargazers” because the heads are tilted up toward the sky. Complete stargazer figures are exceedingly rare, records indicate only fifteen intact pieces throughout the world, which has led the Loyola University of Museum of Art to surmise that these figurines were involved in a ritual in which their heads were broken from their bodies. However, the meaning/symbolism of this ritual, perhaps a substitute human sacrifice, remains a mystery to be solved. Kilia types have been found from southwestern Anatolia up to Troy and Aphrodisias, suggesting that these figures may have been traded amongst small chiefdoms, rather than kept within one kingdom.
Provenance: private New Jersey USA collection, acquired over twenty years ago
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#121229
Kilia idols can date as early as 4500 to 4000 BCE, and are precursors to Cycladic sculpture of ancient Greece. Their name derives from their place of origin, purportedly in the Gallipoli Peninsula from the Greek village of Kilia in modern-day western Turkey. These marble fragments of Kilia-type sculpture are usually called “stargazers” because the heads are tilted up toward the sky. Complete stargazer figures are exceedingly rare, records indicate only fifteen intact pieces throughout the world, which has led the Loyola University of Museum of Art to surmise that these figurines were involved in a ritual in which their heads were broken from their bodies. However, the meaning/symbolism of this ritual, perhaps a substitute human sacrifice, remains a mystery to be solved. Kilia types have been found from southwestern Anatolia up to Troy and Aphrodisias, suggesting that these figures may have been traded amongst small chiefdoms, rather than kept within one kingdom.
Provenance: private New Jersey USA collection, acquired over twenty years ago
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#121229
Condition
A fragment (possibly broken during ritual - see description for further details) as shown. Surface shows expected encrustation and loss to rounded periphery of one arm.
Buyer's Premium
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Rare Anatolian Marble Stargazer Torso
Estimate $1,000 - $1,500
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Item located in Louisville, CO, usSee Policy for Shipping
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