BACTRIAN ALABASTER DISC IDOL
BACTRIA–MARGIANA, C. LATE 3RD/EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
£2,520
Auction: 31 May 2023 at 15:00 BST
Description
carved and polished alabaster, the cream stone shaped with rounded edges, bisected by a shallow groove
Dimensions
31.2cm diameter
Provenance
Provenance:
Private collection, formed 1960s - 1970s, thence by descent
Footnote
Note:
With a powerful simplicity of form, these enigmatic stone idols were produced by artisans of the Bactrian (or Oxus) culture, an ancient civilization that flourished between the 3rd and 2nd millenniums B.C., occupying a large area between India and Afghanistan.
Their original use is a matter of modern debate, though many scholars believe the earliest such “idols” were in fact counterweights used for pounding the agricultural produce that was the backbone of the Oxus economy. Their use may have subsequently developed to the purely ritual, as later examples are found to be less appropriate for practical use.
Regardless of their original purpose, these stone idols have an element quality that speaks to a modern aesthetic.