YOU ARE HERE:>>REAL or FAKE>>Eye idols from Tell Brak, page 6.

 

December 2010.

 

The one shown at the bottom of the last page seems to be based upon an  misunderstanding of this type.

 

 

 

 

 






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  • This one is in the British Museum.

  • It is the very one which Mallowan made a drawing of at time of exacavation. See the drawing above left. The  same one is shown in monochrome above right.

 

 



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  • There is the one  shown on the previous page  again: centre below.

  • I'm doubtful  of all  these below  despite the note, because I can find  no reference to such pieces in the archaeological literature.
  • Yes, there are instances of iconographic  novelties in many types of ancient artifact and they pose a problem by the very fact of being alongside but also outside the known and documented repertoire.


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  • And to illustrate another point , what might one reasonably make of this one, despite the apparent wear on it?



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  • Take a look at some genuine ones where we know that they  come from controlled  archaeological activity at Tell Brak. Look at the eyes.





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  • And some of Malowan's original drawings from 1947. Again pay special attention to the eyes.






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Can we find anything like these?

And look at the eyes.

Then look again at the eyes of the one considered above.

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Here are just some eyes; done in a particular way

Compare with the three archaeologically provenanced examples below.

 

 

 



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With something like these Tell Brak eye idols there are only a few ways to decide upon authenticity apart  from a secure knowledge that any given specimen was actually excavated there.

  • One looks for modern tool marks. Files mark for example.

  • One needs to know what types of stone are not known to have been used for these artefacts.
  • And one might reasonably look at the known visual archive of definitely genuine examples to determine the range of icongraphic stylistic variety and the range of the manner in which th details are cut.

References:

Emberling, Geoff et al. 1999. "Excavations at Tell Brak 1998: Preliminary Report," Iraq 61:1-41. 

Mallowan, M. E. L. 1947. "Excavations at Brak and Chagar Bazar," Iraq

Iraq

 


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It is true that there are some very unusual "oddities" in this repertoire like this one>>>>

 


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<<<<< But given what we know, would we accept something like this one?

It was really offered as an eye idol from Tell Brak!

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This one which we considered above is actually stylistically outside the documented repertoire  in several different ways. Not only the eyes.....

 



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...as are indeed most of those in the group of rather unvconvincing fakes shown above.

These below show the same variation, whch is somewhat outside the iconographic repertoire as documented in the archaeological literature.

 



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The one on the left below is genuine and as extreme as that variable goes, and indeed it is extremely uncommon to find it so: the one on the right displays  this variation and also shows the eyes  done outside the usual manner in which they are preponderantly done. 

 




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July 2011

Amazing. They come one after another.......all from the same little workshop, all by the same  hand. From the same ebay seller (with nearly 9000 feddbacks!).

All fake of course.

Do not any buyers notice this endless supply??

Same seller has an endless supply of very pretty "Sassanian"seals too.

Also from the same workshop.





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