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Ruth Garrido Vila

The presented piece, entitled "Altar, Censer from Mesopotamia," is a remarkable example of the technical and symbolic refinement achieved by the cultures of the ancient Near East, particularly within the vast horizon of Mesopotamian art of the first millennium BC. Carved in stone, this work reveals an exceptional mastery of sculptural principles and a balance between ritual functionality and formal aesthetics. Its conservation, described as perfect, allows one to appreciate the purity of its lines and the volumetric intention of the artist who created it.

The object, approximately 14.5 cm tall, presents a monumental architectural structure in miniature: an open prismatic shape, with a rectangular body and empty spaces framed by vertical pillars, supporting an upper cavity intended to house a small vessel or bowl. This vessel, modelled with balanced proportions and a slightly flared neck, would likely have served as a container for oils, resins, or incense during sacred rituals. The open arrangement of the support, resembling a ceremonial tower or pedestal, Favorited air circulation and the dispersion of smoke or aroma, suggesting a use linked to domestic or Templar worship.

The design of this piece recalls the visual language of Mesopotamian altars or incense burners associated with daily devotional practices. In the temples of Ur, Uruk, or Nippur, similar objects were used to burn aromatic offerings to the protective deities of the home or to the major gods of the pantheon, such as Enki or Inanna. Its modular structure, composed of open planes and a small receptacle at the top, may also allude to the idea of spiritual elevation, from matter to the divine, a recurring concept in Mesopotamian symbology.

The formal treatment of the perimeter relief, with engraved lines accentuating the edges of the frame, suggests a subtle, almost architectural, decorative intent, reinforcing the object's interpretation as a miniaturisation of a tower or ziggurat—a symbol of connection between the earthly and celestial worlds. This parallel is especially significant considering the importance that stepped structures and elevated altars had in the Mesopotamian worldview.

Given its stone material, it may be in basalt, this piece may have come from a more prestigious context, perhaps a private ritual space or domestic sanctuary. The choice of stone, more durable and noble than common ceramics, denotes an intention of permanence and sacredness. Its workmanship reveals a skilled hand and an advanced knowledge of proportions, placing it in an intermediate category between utilitarian object and votive sculpture.

In comparative terms, parallels can be drawn with the incense burners found in Mesopotamian and Syro-Anatolian contexts, such as the examples from Mari, Tell Asmar, and Nimrud, which share this altar's vertical and stepped arrangement. Likewise, certain altars from the Elamite and Assyrian cultures display similar structural forms, suggesting an intercultural diffusion of ritual models throughout the region during the 9th to 7th centuries BC.

Overall, this Mesopotamian altar or incense burner is not only a piece of great aesthetic value, but also a material testimony to ancient symbolic thought, in which architecture, offering, and spirituality intertwine to express a profound conception of the world and the sacred.

Acquired from an international auction in the 2017.
-The piece includes an authenticity certificate. 

The Seller can prove that the lot was obtained legally. Important information. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged, this process can take between 2 and 4 weeks.

IMPORTANT: Due to the new laws on the export of archaeological pieces, we have decided to NO LONGER sell outside the European territory for the following countries: SWITZERLAND & UNITED STATES of AMERICA.

For other destinations out of European territory: all our items will be shipped after obtaining a definitive LICENSE EXPORTATION by the Ministry of Culture of Spain. We inform our clients that it may take between
4-8 weeks. According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subjected to export taxes. The taxes will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price, and the tax rate is not applied directly to the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it:
Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. / From 6.001 to 60.000 euros: 10 %.

Please note that for far destination (Asia, middle east etc.. ), there will be an additional cost for the shipping.  



1st millennium BC

mesopotâmico altar ou incensário - 14 cm

Arqueologia

Preço de reserva

Sem preço de reserva

Comprar agora

Orçamento

Até

Data de fim

domingo

sábado

quarta-feira

quinta-feira

amanhã

sexta-feira

15 agosto

Localização

Espanha

Reino Unido

Holanda

Alemanha

Bélgica

França

Itália

Áustria

Hong Kong

Estados Unidos

Polônia

Portugal

República Tcheca

Bulgária

Japão

Lituânia

Romênia

Eslováquia

Tamanho

S (10–40 cm)

XS (menos de 10 cm)

M (40–80 cm)

L (mais de 80 cm)

Dimensões

Altura

Largura

Profundidade

Objeto

Anel

Esculturas, talhas e estatuetas antigas

Joalharia e missangas antigas

Obra de arte antiga

Colar

Figura

Ferramentas antigas

Ponta da flecha

Pingente

Camafeu

Bracelete

Brincos

Lanternas e lamparinas antigas

Mineral em bruto

Machado

Recipiente

Jarra

Pedras metafísicas

Colar com pingente

Diorama

Montagem de réplica de taxidermia

Pingente em forma de moeda

Escultura

Flecha

País de origem

Europa

Desconhecido

China

África

Grécia

Suíça

Canadá

Dinamarca

Ásia

Madagáscar

Afeganistão

República Dominicana

Polónia

Brasil

Material

Bronze

Terracota

Prata

Banhado a ouro

Cerâmica

Vidro

Faience

Pedra

Barro/Cerâmica

Ferro

Pedra/Sílex

Ouro

Bronze patinado

Alabastro

Osso

Grés

Mármore

Madeira

Ouro amarelo

Cobre

Chumbo

Porcelana

Cornalina

Esteatite

Arenito

Género

Senhora

Unissexo

Estado

excelente estado

Muito bom

Novo

Razoável

Muito bom +

Muito bom estado - ligeiramente utilizado - com pequenos sinais de desgaste

Bom estado - foi utilizado - com alguns sinais de desgaste

Bom estado - usado com pequenos sinais de envelhecimento e manchas

Estado razoável - foi utilizado - com sinais óbvios de desgaste

Como novo - não foi utilizado

Excelente estado - muito pouco usado com sinais mínimos de envelhecimento e desgaste

Bom estado

Excelente estado

Excelente estado - muito pouco utilizado - com sinais mínimos de desgaste

Condição razoável - muito usado e com possivelmente algumas pequenas peças em falta

Em boas condições - usado com pequenos sinais de envelhecimento.

Muito bom estado, veja descrição

Bom estado, veja descrição

Sem classificação

Natural

Período

Tang Dynasty (618-907)

Dinastia Ming (1368 - 1644)

1980-1990

1990-2000

1550-1600

Independência (1947 - presente)

1920-1930

Paleogeno, Eoceno (56 - 33,9 milhões de anos)

1800-1850

1650-1700

1700-1750

2010-2020

Depois de 2020

Coral

Pérola

Pérola cultivada de água doce

Turquesa

Lápis-lazúli

Coral cor de sangue

Ónix.

Certificação

Sem relatório de um laboratório

Llei

18 K

Estilo

Roma Antiga

Antigo Egito, Pré-dinástico

Roma Antiga, Império

Era Viking

Medieval

Grécia Antiga

Medieval, Era dos Cruzados

Grécia Antiga, Período helenístico

Antigo

Ancient Chinese, Tang Dynasty

Romano tardio / Bizantino inicial

Neolítico

Idade do Bronze

Bizantino

Celta

Pós-medieval

China Antiga, Dinastia Han

Antigo Egito, Período Tardio

Sasaniano

Islâmico

Mesopotâmico

Grécia Antiga, Magna Grécia

Arqueologia

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mesopotâmico altar ou incensário - 14 cm

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