Obsidian Cores and Lamellae
Bronze Age (approx. 3000-2000 BCE), Milos, Cyclades, Greece
No reserve
Session begins in
July 14, 02:00 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 8,000 USD
Bid
300 USD
Lot Details
Description
Obsidian Cores and Lamellae — From Milos, the Center of the Neolithic Mediterranean Obsidian Trade
Produced by the Cycladic culture (approx. 3,000-2,000 BCE)
Milos, Cyclades, Greece
A set of six obsidian cores and five lamellae, cores ranging in size from 39 to 65 mm (1½ to 2½ inches), lamellae ranging in size from 53 to 57 mm (2¼ to 2½ inches).
An exceptional group of Cycladic obsidian cores and lamellae from the island of Milos, knapped from deep black volcanic glass with a striking natural luster. The larger cores preserve long parallel flake scars from the removal of blades, while several sharp lamellae survive alongside them. Their sculptural forms and glossy reflective surfaces demonstrating why obsidian was among the most prized materials of the prehistoric Aegean.
Formerly in the collection of antiquarian and numismatist Jean-Henri Hoffmann (1823–1897)
Formerly in the collection of Michel Lemarchand (1937–2014)
Comptes-rendus de la Société Française de Numismatique et D’Archéologie, Vol. 1, 2nd Series (Paris, 1877), p. 93, 263.
Obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed through the rapid cooling of lava, was among the most important and highly valued materials of the ancient Mediterranean. Harder and capable of taking a sharper edge than flint, it was used throughout the Aegean world for the production of blades, tools, and weapons during the Neolithic and Bronze Age.
The present group comes from the island of Milos in the Cyclades, the principal source of obsidian in the prehistoric Aegean. By the 3rd millennium BCE, obsidian from Milos was being transported across the Mediterranean through extensive maritime exchange networks.
The larger pieces are blade cores, from which long, razor sharp obsidian blades were struck. Their surfaces preserve the rhythmic parallel scars left by repeated blade removals, creating remarkably elegant and almost architectural forms. The accompanying lamellae still retain extraordinarily sharp cutting edges, demonstrating the exceptional qualities that made obsidian so desirable to ancient craftspeople.
Beyond their practical use, these objects possess striking beauty, their deep black surfaces catching the light with a silky, almost metallic luster, while the carefully controlled flaking has transformed raw volcanic glass into highly refined geometric forms. It is easy to understand why obsidian continued to be admired across the Mediterranean for thousands of years, later being used by the Romans for sculpture, jewelry, and even luxury vessels.
The group carries an especially important early provenance. It belonged to Jean-Henri Hoffmann, the noted 19th century antiquarian and numismatist, and was presented before the Société Française de Numismatique et d’Archéologie in Paris in March 1877. The pieces were subsequently published in the Society’s proceedings, making them among the earliest published Cycladic obsidian artifacts in private hands.
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