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Published: Moscati, Sabatino (1983) ‘I Fenici signori del Mare’, Ligabue Magazine 3, 1983, p. 38.
Expert’s Note:
The destruction of Carthage in 146 BC marked one of antiquity’s most decisive cultural ruptures. Once a thriving Phoenician metropolis and dominant Mediterranean power, Carthage fell to Rome after the Third Punic War, its population enslaved and its cities razed. Yet, the Punic artistic spirit persisted, particularly in the refined craftsmanship of glassmaking that had developed from Phoenician traditions and spread across the western Mediterranean.
Among the most distinctive artifacts of this legacy are the glass head pendants—miniature effigies molded or rod-formed in vibrant, multicolored glass. These pendants, depicting stylized male or female heads with expressive features, were traded widely and served both as ornaments and protective amulets. Their technical sophistication and symbolic power embody the enduring influence of Carthaginian artisans long after the city’s destruction, preserving a fragment of its identity through the fragile medium of glass.
Phoenicia, Carthage. This rod-formed pendant is composed of polychrome glass in the form of a bearded man’s head. The ochre face features large round eyes, a prominent nose, and projecting ears. The lower face is framed by a thick dark-blue beard, with remnants of the original dark-blue hair around the crown and sides of the head. Additional applied white and blue details accent the eyes and facial features.
Provenance: Rassla Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland. A copy of a signed declaration from Inti Ligabue, dated 28 May 2026, confirming the provenance above, accompanies this lot. The Rassla Foundation in Zurich held the collection assembled by Dr. Giancarlo Ligabue (1931-2015), the Italian entrepreneur, paleontologist, explorer, and distinguished collector of archaeology and ethnographic art. Over several decades, Ligabue assembled an important collection spanning ancient cultures from across the world. A graduate in paleontology from the Sorbonne, he founded the Ligabue Study and Research Center in 1973 and promoted more than 130 scientific expeditions worldwide, particularly in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and natural history. His cultural and scientific legacy is continued today by the Fondazione Giancarlo Ligabue in Venice, established by his son Inti Ligabue in 2016.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear and manufacturing irregularities, obvious losses, pitting, weathering, cracks, and a chip above the right eye. The suspension loop lost.
Weight: 4 g
Dimensions: Height 2.1 cm
These intricate glass pendants, produced centuries before the invention of glassblowing, demonstrate the skill of Phoenician artisans in the Eastern Mediterranean. Using a technique called rod-forming, glassmakers wound hot threads of colored glass around a metal core to sculpt minute details, such as the beard of a male head or the horns of a ram. The staring eyes and vibrant colors were not merely decorative; these objects functioned as apotropaic amulets, worn to ward off the "evil eye" and protect the wearer from misfortune.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Phoenician rod-formed glass head pendant, dated to the mid-5th-4th century BC, 2.5 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 17.194.721.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Galerie Zacke Vienna, 21 November 2025, lot 60
Price: EUR 4,680 or approx. EUR 4,800 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Carthaginian glass head pendant, circa 5th-4th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, rod-formed construction, ochre face, blue beard and hair, large eyes, applied white ornaments, and polychrome glass. Note the larger size (4.6 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 8 December 2022, lot 55
Price: GBP 3,825 or approx. EUR 5,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Phoenician glass head pendant, circa 6th-4th century BC, rod-formed with a yellow face, blue eyes with white and blue rims, a white mouth, blue and white striped headband, and blue suspension loop, 2.4 cm high.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related dating, diminutive size, rod-formed construction, yellow face, and applied blue and white glass details. Note the intact suspension loop and slightly larger size (2.4 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 2 May 2013, lot 10
Price: GBP 10,625 or approx. EUR 18,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Carthaginian Glass Bearded Head Pendant, circa 5th-3rd century BC.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related dating and size, dark-blue glass, opaque yellow-ochre face, applied blue-and-white eyes, and polychrome applied details. Note the preserved disc earrings, striped turban, and suspension loop. Note the similar size (2.3 cm).
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