Bidspirit auction | Rare Phoenician or Carthaginian Anthropomorphic

Rare Phoenician or Carthaginian Anthropomorphic Glass Bead / Amulet, Near Eastern. - This rare ancient Phoenician anthropomorphic glass bead is a full-bodied protective amulet. The elongated standing figure is fashioned from dark core-formed glass and richly decorated with numerous applied polychrome glass protuberances in yellow, orange, white, blue, and black. The stylized face features prominent applied eyes, a projecting nose, and a pronounced chin or beard, while the body is covered with raised coloured bosses, including distinctive concentric ”eye” motifs believed to have served an apotropaic (evil-averting) function. Such anthropomorphic amulets are considerably rarer than the more common Phoenician face beads and reflect the exceptional skill of Levantine glassmakers. Produced in the workshops of the eastern Mediterranean, these objects were worn as personal talismans or suspended as protective ornaments, combining symbolic imagery with sophisticated decorative glassworking. The weathered iridescence and surface encrustation are consistent with prolonged burial and attest to the object's considerable antiquity. This example represents an uncommon survival of Phoenician figural glass craftsmanship, illustrating the culture's mastery of decorative glass production and its enduring tradition of protective amuletic objects. The Phoenicians, centered in cities like Tyre, Sidon, and later Carthage, were the undisputed masters of ancient glassmaking. They established expansive trade networks across the Mediterranean, making these distinctive glass objects highly sought-after luxury goods and status symbols among diverse ancient cultures. 7.8 cm h