Bidspirit auction | PHOENICIAN TERRACOTTA FEMALE FIGURE PLAYING

PHOENICIAN TERRACOTTA FEMALE FIGURE PLAYING THE DOUBLE FLUTE - TL TESTED - Ca. 6th century BC A sculpture representing a woman dressed in a tunic playing a musical instrument, presumably an aulós or double-pipe flute. The Phoenicians used music in fertility rites and also in contexts related to death, as both a celebration and exaltation of life and mourning for its loss. This sculpture forms part of a group of Phoenician terracottas discovered underwater in the 1950s, possibly originating from Phoenician temples and representing the Phoenicians and their principal activities as votive sculptures. Size: 50 cm. Provenance: Private European collection of Ancient Art; Ex New York Antiquities Gallery pre-2000. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. All items are accompanied by a European export license. Each item has been published and exhibited. A copy of the published book will be provided with each lot.