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PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF PROF. DR. ROLAND BAY, SWITZERLANDProf. Dr. Roland Bay (1909-1992) was a dentist and archaeologist who worked at the Basel Dental Institute, where he was appointed professor and head of the Orthodontics department in 1953. He had a keen interest in European prehistory and geology and in 1943 he was nominated as head of the Anthropological Department at the Museum of Cultures in Basel. His contribution in the anthropological field was highly valued and he was a member of many medical, dental and natural history societies, such as the Swiss Society for Anthropology (SSA), which he presided over between 1954-1956, and the Orthodontic Society of Israel. Prof. Bay was well known as a sensible collector with a good eye and as any avid and discerning collector, he kept several pieces for his personal enjoyment. The wide breadth of his interests and knowledge is reflected in this part of his collection, which includes works of art from Palaeolithic Europe, ancient Egypt, Rome and the Near East.

THREE MAGDALENIAN BONE BARBED HARPOONS

UPPER PALEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 17,000-12,000 B.C.

Details

THREE MAGDALENIAN BONE BARBED HARPOONS
UPPER PALEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 17,000-12,000 B.C.
6 ¼ in. (16 cm.) long max.

Provenance

Prof. Dr. Roland Bay (1909-1992), Orselina, acquired in the 1950s; thence by descent to the current owner.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve. These lots have been imported from outside the EU or, if the UK has withdrawn from the EU without an agreed transition deal, from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Claudio Corsi Specialist, Head of Department

ccorsi@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7389 2607

Lot Essay

Magdalenian people were a culture of early modern humans who lived in Western Europe during the Upper Palaeolithic period. This period is considered the height of technical sophistication during the Old Stone Age. Developing on the tradition of stone tool making, bone and antler progressively replaced wood and stone for many functions. This was because it was more durable than wood and more flexible than stone, meaning it would not break as easily and yet could be used to make sharp cutting edges. These barbed points were likely used for fishing.
Prof. Roland Bay was deeply fascinated by Magdalenian culture and undertook excavations at Magdalenian sites in the areas near Arlesheim. For his scientific findings, see Die Magdalenienstation am Hollenberg bei Arlesheim (Kanton Baseland), Band 19, 1953.

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