This terracotta piece originates from the little-known Amlash culture, which flourished in northern Iran during the 1st millennium BC.
Spanning the modern-day provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran, the Amlash culture produced an array of terracotta figurines, ranging from highly stylised votive idols to zoomorphic libation vessels.
This 11in (28cm) high piece will be on the Masterpiece stand of David Aaron, priced at a six-figure sum. The London dealer describes it as “charmingly simple in design, his eyes, ears and nose are all formed from small clay balls that have been attached… working each limb down in to its simplest shape like an early form of Cubism”.