17th Oct, 2024 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
212
A RARE GEMSTONE-SET GOLD WREATH WITH A RAM’S HEAD, HELLENISTIC PERIOD
Sold for €65,000
including Buyer's Premium
Western Asia, circa 4th century BC to 3rd century AD. Superbly worked in repoussé technique with myrtle and other leaves and floral blossoms, composed of finely chased gold sheet as well as gold wire, centered by the well-modeled head of a ram, the larger blooms set with gemstone cabochons, all attached to two semi-circular gold rods set with further gemstones and connected by gold wire.
Provenance: Ex-Collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. 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: Superb condition, commensurate with age, few small losses to the leaves and inlays, some inlays possibly replaced, some loose, small dents, nicks, scratches, encrustations, minor old repairs.
Alloy composition range: 78.92% gold, 19.44% silver, 0.88% copper, 0.75% iron. The lot was tested by the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum.
Weight: 167 g
Dimensions: Width 21.8 cm
Hellenistic gold wreaths were placed in graves as funerary offerings for the honored dead or dedicated to the gods in sanctuaries. They were too fragile for use as crowns or diadems in life. They are best known from the graves of Macedonian rulers – a gold myrtle wreath believed to have belonged to Meda, the fifth wife of Philip II of Macedon, was found in the royal tombs at Vergina – but Hellenistic gold wreaths have been found as far afield as southern Italy, the Dardanelles, the Levante and even further eastwards, into Western Asia, where the present lot is reported to have been found.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related Hellenistic gold wreath from the Dardanelles, dated 350-300 BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1908,0414.1. Compare a Greek silver bracelet with similar gold ram’s-head terminals, dated early 3rd century BC, in the Getty Museum, Los Angeles, object number 79.AM.36.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Giquello Paris, 11 June 2024, lot 5
Estimate: EUR 60,000 (not including any buyers premium, sale result not reported)
Description: A rare gold wreath, Hellenistic art, 2nd century BC to 3rd century AD
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and decoration with similar leaves and gold wire. Note the smaller size (18 cm). Also note the missing ram’s head.
Western Asia, circa 4th century BC to 3rd century AD. Superbly worked in repoussé technique with myrtle and other leaves and floral blossoms, composed of finely chased gold sheet as well as gold wire, centered by the well-modeled head of a ram, the larger blooms set with gemstone cabochons, all attached to two semi-circular gold rods set with further gemstones and connected by gold wire.
Provenance: Ex-Collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. 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: Superb condition, commensurate with age, few small losses to the leaves and inlays, some inlays possibly replaced, some loose, small dents, nicks, scratches, encrustations, minor old repairs.
Alloy composition range: 78.92% gold, 19.44% silver, 0.88% copper, 0.75% iron. The lot was tested by the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum.
Weight: 167 g
Dimensions: Width 21.8 cm
Hellenistic gold wreaths were placed in graves as funerary offerings for the honored dead or dedicated to the gods in sanctuaries. They were too fragile for use as crowns or diadems in life. They are best known from the graves of Macedonian rulers – a gold myrtle wreath believed to have belonged to Meda, the fifth wife of Philip II of Macedon, was found in the royal tombs at Vergina – but Hellenistic gold wreaths have been found as far afield as southern Italy, the Dardanelles, the Levante and even further eastwards, into Western Asia, where the present lot is reported to have been found.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related Hellenistic gold wreath from the Dardanelles, dated 350-300 BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1908,0414.1. Compare a Greek silver bracelet with similar gold ram’s-head terminals, dated early 3rd century BC, in the Getty Museum, Los Angeles, object number 79.AM.36.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Giquello Paris, 11 June 2024, lot 5
Estimate: EUR 60,000 (not including any buyers premium, sale result not reported)
Description: A rare gold wreath, Hellenistic art, 2nd century BC to 3rd century AD
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and decoration with similar leaves and gold wire. Note the smaller size (18 cm). Also note the missing ram’s head.
Zacke Live Online Bidding
Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.
To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins.
Intended Spend and Bid Limits
When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'.
Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT. For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.
Online Absentee and Telephone Bids
You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website!
Absentee Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Telephone Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form
You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page.
How-To Guides
How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online
中文版本的操作指南
创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍（免平台费）
缺席投标和电话投标
Third-Party Bidding
We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:
- 51 Bid Live
- EpaiLive
- ArtFoxLive
- Invaluable
- LiveAuctioneers
- the-saleroom
- lot-tissimo
- Drouot
Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.
Bidding in Person
You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.
