Ancient Bronze Birds | Greek Geometric Waterfowl, Roman Rooster, Islamic Cock

Mediterranean and Near East, Greek, Roman and Islamic. A trio of leaded bronze birds spanning nineteen centuries of Mediterranean and Near Eastern metalwork. The largest, Roman, is a proud rooster with incised wing feathers, an alert comb and wattle, and a stepped socket beneath the feet for mounting atop a staff, standard, or furniture element. The mid-sized figure belongs to the Greek Geometric tradition: a long-necked waterfowl reduced to elegant abstraction, its beak and swelling breast conveyed in a few confident planes. The third, Islamic and likely 9th to 10th century, condenses a crested cock into a compact form with a pierced eye and a tapering shank, probably once the finial of a hair pin or dress pin. Birds carried votive, apotropaic, and solar associations across all three cultures, and roosters in particular heralded dawn and vigilance. Leaded bronze, an alloy in which lead is added to copper and tin, was favored across the ancient Mediterranean and the early Islamic world for cast ornament: the lead lowers the melting point and improves the flow of metal into fine detail such as combs, beaks, and feather chasing. Please note that items in this lot contain up to 30.4% lead. The rooster was among the most legible of ancient symbols. In Greek and Roman practice it attended Hermes/Mercury and Asklepios, was offered in healing sanctuaries, and stood for wakefulness and combative courage. Early Islamic metalworkers inherited the motif through Sasanian and late antique channels, where crested birds crowned pin heads, vessel handles, and lamp fittings. The abstracted waterfowl of the Greek Geometric period, by contrast, belongs to a family of small cast animals dedicated at sanctuaries such as Olympia and Delphi, where the bird's silhouette mattered more than its species. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 204774

Estimate:$300

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