IBERIAN ANTIQUITIES LEON LEVY & SHELBY WHITE COLLECTION Start Price USD 39.99 Current Price USD 39.99 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 44.99 Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, October 03, 2008 End Time Friday, October 10, 2008 Location Not Specified See more about 'IBERIAN ANTIQUITIES LEON LEVY & SHELBY WHITE COLLECTION' Description netty44 store IBERIAN ANTIQUITIES FROM THE LEON LEVY & SHELBY WHITE COLLECTION DECEMBER 10TH 1993 NY THIS CATALOG CONTAINS 136 PAGES AND 52 LOTS One of the great pleasures of collecting ancient art is discovering a group of works that has been to a great extent overlooked. Although the Iberian peninsula was inhabited before Neolithic times, the objects that have been left behind are less well known than the art of many other cultures. When we saw the group of five small, flat idols, [nos. 2-6] we did not even know where they came from. We just knew we wanted to add them to our collection and learn more about the people who had created them. In 1985 we saw a splendid exhibition in Brussels, a major gathering of Iberian art from Spanish museums. This was the first time we saw the full panoply of works of the peoples that eventually became the Spanish nation. We were fascinated by the resemblance of some of the pieces to the bronzes of Sardinia. We saw too, the echoes of other civilizations that touched the shores of Spain. In the small bronzes, we could see evidence of Phoenicians, who came seeking the rich metals of the peninsula, the Carthaginians, the Greeks and, finally, the Romans. Indeed, Iberia was at the cross roads of major trading patterns. Most of the little figurines are supplicants—worshippers and warriors. These are the most numerous objects, which give us a feeling for the people who created them, used them and treasured them. We were thrilled to find the beautiful silver jewelry, some of it quite refined and delicate. In a small fibula, the artist was able to encapsulate an entire hunting scene. And with a few bronze horses and riders, we could recreate an entire cavalry. So, in a way, the collection is a fragmentary record of the lives of these ancient peoples. One of our fantasies is that the original owners of these objects will one day appear at our door and claim their possessions. We would have a rather polyglot group of visitors, but we hope they would be pleased to find their treasures are still treasured thousands of years later, in a land which was unknown to them. We thankThe Spanish Institute, Suzanne Stratton, Jonathan Brown, and Inmaculada de Habsburgo for their help in making this exhibition possible. We also thank Reba Williams for her original suggestion that we present this collection at The Spanish Institute. Most of all we thank Susanna Pancaldo for her work in coordinating the exhibition, Bruce White for his excellent photography and Dr. Vivian Hibbs for the superb catalogue. Leon Levy and Shelby White Created by eBay Blackthorne ver. 3.2.31.0 Place a Bid!