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57
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Anthropomorphic bell with crowned head
Tumbaga, marks of tim…
See original version (French)
57
-
Anthropomorphic bell with crowned head
Tumbaga, marks of tim…
See original version (French)
Estimate €500 - €1,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Anthropomorphic bell with crowned head
Tumbaga, marks of time, slight surface wear.
Taironas, Colombia, AD 900 to 1500
4 × 3.6 cm
Provenance: Estate of Mr S., Geneva, constituted between 1970 and 1980. Objects imported into France before the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2019/880 of 17 April 2019, applicable from 28 June 2025.
Among the Taironas, goldsmithing reached a high level of mastery and accompanied the assertion of the rank of lords and dignitaries. This art made particular use of tumbaga, an alloy of gold and copper used to obtain a golden sheen through surface treatments, associated with prestige and solar cults. This bell is striking for the quality of its lost-wax cast modelling: the two-finned crown, the labial ornament and the gesture of the hands resting on the round belly form a hieratic figure of great formal precision. Worn as an adornment, its vibration gave rhythm to movements and played a full part in the ritual display of power.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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