KOLLER VIEW 1/25

pre view. 02 3 Timeless beauty Preview of the Decorative Arts auction on 27 March 2025 1 A large Cycladic idol. Earl y Cycladic, Spedos type, ca. 2500–2400 BCE. Attributed to the Goulandris Master. H 42.6 cm. Private Swiss c ollection since 1977. Estimate: CHF 350 000/6 00 000 The marble idols of the Cycladic cultures are among the most astonish- ing and mysterious artefacts of the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. The figures are named after their place of discovery, the Cycladic Islands in Greece. The oldest ones date from around 5000 BCE, and they attained their artistic zenith around 2500 BCE. It was also during this period that their typical form was established, as exemplified by the present sculp- ture. Cycladic idols, which are mostly female, most likely represent fertility goddesses. The renowned Cycladic scholar Patricia Getz-Preziosi attri- butes the idol in our auction to the Goulandris Master, ‘one of the finest sculptors of his time’. The identified works by this master are of varying dimensions, with the smallest measuring 16.5 cm and the largest 98 cm. Cycladic sculptures were rediscovered in the 19 th century. Their abstract form, reduction and simplicity radiate a timeless beauty, and they soon found their way into the collections of major European museums such as the Louvre in Paris and the British Museum in London. There they became a new source of inspiration for modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brancusi, Amedeo Modigliani, Alberto Giacometti and Henry Moore. For further information Decorative Arts Stephan Koller skoller@kollerauctions.com Online catalogues www.kollerauctions.com