Black stone pendant in the form of a bird, c. 2500–1500 BC, on a sculptural gold necklace.
This singular artwork originates from ancient Mesopotamia. Its subject - a bird in flight - is rendered with delicate precision. The flowing contours achieve an expressiveness that is remarkably prescient, anticipating minimalist ideals by millennia.
The bird, rendered in elemental form, thus becomes a universal symbol of spirit, freedom and transcendence, easily reaching across time and culture. This pendant was catalogued by the late Professor Wilfred George Lambert, a leading authority in Assyriology.
The carving is suspended on an 18ct gold necklace, the twisting, sprung freeform as a dialogue between artists past and present.
