Archaic Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Protective Amulet - 25 mm

Archaic Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Protective Amulet

Culture / Period: Archaic Eastern Mediterranean
Date / Period: Circa 8th–6th century B.C.
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 25 mm
Condition: Good condition

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 730
The current owner purchased this object from a reputable Dutch numismatic auction house in Schiedam, the Netherlands. Due to privacy regulations, the name of the previous owner could not be disclosed. No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This finely cast bronze amulet depicts a stylised anthropomorphic face with prominent pointed ears or horns and a suspension loop above the head, indicating that it was intended to be worn or suspended. Such protective amulets were widely used throughout the Eastern Mediterranean during the Archaic period, where they were believed to guard the wearer against misfortune and harmful influences.

Images of protective spirits, demons, and stylised divine beings appear in the artistic traditions of the Greek, Cypriot, Phoenician, and Levantine worlds. Their simplified yet expressive features reflect a shared visual language that developed through extensive trade, travel, and cultural interaction across the Eastern Mediterranean. Without a secure archaeological context, however, the precise cultural attribution of individual examples cannot always be determined.

Objects of this type were produced by skilled bronze workers using established casting techniques and were worn as personal talismans or attached to clothing, equipment, or other valued possessions. Their compact size and durable construction made them suitable for everyday use while conveying symbolic protection.

Dating to approximately the 8th–6th century B.C., this amulet belongs to a period of dynamic cultural exchange, when artistic motifs and religious ideas circulated widely between neighbouring societies. It forms a tangible connection to the ancient world, where personal amulets of this kind accompanied their owners in daily life as symbols of protection and belief."