COUVERCLE DE SARCOPHAGE ANTHROPOMORPHE Phénicie,... Lot 40

COUVERCLE DE SARCOPHAGE ANTHROPOMORPHE Phénicie, 600/400 avant J.C. Matériau Terre cuite H. 71,8 cm, L. 45,7 cm PHOENICIAN ANTHROPOMORPHIC COFFIN LID Origin: Eastern Mediterranean Circa: 600 BC to 400 BC Medium: Terracotta Dimensions: 28.25'' high, 18'' wide The Phoenician homeland was a coastal strip roughly corresponding to modern day Lebanon. ?Phoenicia' is a Greek word meaning red/purple and was used to refer to the people of the Levantine coast because the inhabitants of Tyre were renowned for their ability to produce fine purple dye. The dominant influence in the area lay with the city-states, especially Sidon, Byblos and Tyre. These cities were ruled separately but- despite their often hostile relations- their common maritime interests held the area together as a recognisable political entity. From the ninth century BC overseas colonies, at Carthage and Cyprus (Kition), reinforced the Phoenicians' trade in the Mediterranean. Over the following centuries they established outposts further afield in Sicily and Spain. This expansion was motivated by the desire to find new markets for their goods and sources of precious metals which were particularly plentiful in the African interior and the Iberian coast. The maritime success of the Phoenicians had two consequences for the arts. Firstly it provided the material wealth to support a large community of craftsmen. Secondly it brought the Phoenicians into contact with the visual arts of other cultures, especially the Egyptians and the Ionian Greeks. An Egyptian influence is particularly apparent in this magnificent terracotta coffin lid. The idea of creating a coffin in shape of a human being gradually evolved in Egypt as a result of the practice of mummification. From the late 3rd millennium BC masks were placed over the mummy's face and gradually extended to cover the whole body. This example depicts the face and bust of a woman. The features are highly stylised with large almond shaped eyes, thick parted lips and a