**First Time At Auction**

Ancient Near East, Sumeria, ca. 3rd to 2nd millennium BCE. A terracotta figure of a reclining man, his body largely smooth aside from a few incised circles designed to ward off the evil eye. The face is abstract, with huge, round eyes, a sign of watchfulness and worshipfulness, a pronounced nose, and a beard. Atop his head is a conical headdress, this style parallel to other Sumerian artwork. Size: 4.45" W x 3.45" H (11.3 cm x 8.8 cm); 5.15" H (13.1 cm) on included custom stand.

The banquet was the upper class social event of the ancient Near East, enjoyed later by the Greeks and Romans as the symposium. It was an opportunity for elites (both men and women) to connect with one another over food and drink in a ritualized, but social, setting. The Banquet Plaque, held by the University of Chicago, shows three registers of scenes from a banquet - a man and woman being attended by servants bearing jars of beer, an animal being slaughtered to be eaten while other servants bring in food, and musicians and dancers performing for the festivities.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-William Froelich collection, New York, USA, collected in the 1970s

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#139569

Intact, with a few tiny chips, nicks, and scratches commensurate with age. Great preserved form and rich deposits on surface.