Iberian Bronze Idol

Culture: Celtic/Iberian

Period: Mid 1st milllennium B.C.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: 6.6 cm high

Price: 4 000 Euro

Ref: 5185

Provenance: From an old Munich collection, acquired from a German auction house.

Condition: Toes slightly worn since ancient times, otherwise intact.

Description: Massive cast bronze idol of a man in a praying posture. The slightly spread legs touching each other on the knees. The man has his overlong arms stretched out sideways, with open palms facing upwards. He wears a short tunic, hold together by a broad belt. The rectangular belt buckle is decorated with circles in the corners. The spherical head with almond-shaped eyes, broad mouth and a prominent nose. His hair is flat on the calotte, braided pigtails cascade behind the ears and along the back of the head. Bronze votive statuettes like the present one were found in a sanctuary in the southern Spanish province Jaén. See for reference the statuettes in the Musée des Antiquités Nationales in Saint-Germain-en-Laye with the inventory numbers 77876.57 and 77876.60, published in: “Die Iberer”, Bonn 1997, page 343, numbers 289 and 290. Mounted.