A Mesopotamian hematite boar sculpture, 2,200–1,800 BC, set in a handmade 18-carat gold and natural black opal pendant.
Carved around 4,000 years ago, this extraordinary miniature sculpture comes from the world of ancient Uruk in southern Mesopotamia. A small number of closely related hematite boar heads have been discovered there. Other examples have appeared at Christie’s New York (2019) and in the British Museum. This example, purchased from the collection of the late Sheikh Saud bin Muhammed Al Thani, is remarkable for the particular elegance of its form and the state of preservation.
Hematite is an extremely hard iron-ore which required immense labour in grinding, shaping and polishing. As the stone was worked with water and abrasives, iron oxide turned the water red. Ancient peoples associated this transformation with blood and the force of life, giving hematite a particular potency.
The wild boar was itself an emblem of ferocity and protective power. The precise purpose of these small sculptures remains uncertain, but they lack suspension holes and do not correspond to known trade weights. They were possibly sewn into clothing or carried in a pouch as talismans. The minimalist rendering reduces the animal to its essential form - strength and character emanating from the polished black stone.
Uruk suspends this ancient masterpiece beneath an 18ct gold flame and a black opal alive with flickers of crimson. A true one-of-a-kind.
