21st Nov, 2025 13:00
Fine Antiquities & Ancient Art
106
A SMALL SLIP DECORATED ‘FLOCK OF BIRDS’ POTTERY CUP, INDUS VALLEY
Sold for €715
including Buyer's Premium
Pakistan, 2500-2000 BC. The cup of cylindrical form, tapering towards the flat foot, painted in black slip to depict two rows of birds below alternating concentric circles, with double lines below, and a black lined upper rim. The cup with three perforations below the upper rim for suspension.
Provenance: From a private collection, assembled in the United Kingdom and international art markets during the 1990s. The property of a West London gentleman, acquired from the above. A copy of an Art Loss Register confirmation, dated 22 April 2025, accompanies the lot.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, little rubbing to the slip, and warping. Firing faults as expected.
Weight: 99.4 g
Dimensions: Height 7.7 cm
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age culture in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilizations of the Near East and South Asia, and of the three, the most widespread. Its sites spanned an area from northeast Afghanistan and much of Pakistan to western and northwestern India. The civilization flourished both in the alluvial plain of the Indus River, which flows through the length of Pakistan and along a system of perennial monsoon-fed rivers that once coursed in the vicinity of the Ghaggar-Hakra, a seasonal river in northwest India and eastern Pakistan.
The cities of the ancient Indus were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and techniques of handicraft and metallurgy. Both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa likely grew to a size of 30,000 and 60,000 individuals, and the civilization may have contained between one and five million total population during its florescence. It is also known as the Harappan civilization, after its type site Harappa, the first to be excavated early in the 20th century in what was then the Punjab province of British India and is now Punjab, Pakistan.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related pottery jar with painted birds, Indus Valley, 2600-2000 BC, 48.3 cm tall, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession number 36.2977. Compare a related painted ceramic ceremonial vessel, Indus Valley, dated 2600-2450 BC, 49.5 cm tall, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco, accession number AC1997.93.1. Note the circles and linear decoration.
Pakistan, 2500-2000 BC. The cup of cylindrical form, tapering towards the flat foot, painted in black slip to depict two rows of birds below alternating concentric circles, with double lines below, and a black lined upper rim. The cup with three perforations below the upper rim for suspension.
Provenance: From a private collection, assembled in the United Kingdom and international art markets during the 1990s. The property of a West London gentleman, acquired from the above. A copy of an Art Loss Register confirmation, dated 22 April 2025, accompanies the lot.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, little rubbing to the slip, and warping. Firing faults as expected.
Weight: 99.4 g
Dimensions: Height 7.7 cm
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age culture in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilizations of the Near East and South Asia, and of the three, the most widespread. Its sites spanned an area from northeast Afghanistan and much of Pakistan to western and northwestern India. The civilization flourished both in the alluvial plain of the Indus River, which flows through the length of Pakistan and along a system of perennial monsoon-fed rivers that once coursed in the vicinity of the Ghaggar-Hakra, a seasonal river in northwest India and eastern Pakistan.
The cities of the ancient Indus were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and techniques of handicraft and metallurgy. Both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa likely grew to a size of 30,000 and 60,000 individuals, and the civilization may have contained between one and five million total population during its florescence. It is also known as the Harappan civilization, after its type site Harappa, the first to be excavated early in the 20th century in what was then the Punjab province of British India and is now Punjab, Pakistan.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related pottery jar with painted birds, Indus Valley, 2600-2000 BC, 48.3 cm tall, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession number 36.2977. Compare a related painted ceramic ceremonial vessel, Indus Valley, dated 2600-2450 BC, 49.5 cm tall, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco, accession number AC1997.93.1. Note the circles and linear decoration.
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.
