Bearing a stylised male face carved in relief above a Himyarite inscription. 13.9 kg, 39 cm high

Acquired 1960s-1990s.
Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

Cf. The British Museum, museum numbers 125108; 122010 and 104482, for similar.

Likely a funerary stele bearing the name of the deceased individual commemorated with the stone.

Bearing pictographs to the two principal faces; of pillow-shaped form. 112 grams, 89 mm

Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992.
Thence by descent to family members.

Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.201149.

Cf. similar item in the British Museum, London, under accession number 1989,0130.4/ BM No.140855 and published in MacGregor, N., A History of the World in 100 Objects, London, 2010 (cat.no.15, pp.90-94).

The purpose of these items is not known for sure but the combination of pictograms and impressed points has led to the suggestion that they were used for tallying quantities of various commodities.

Inscribed on one face with a seven-panelled pictographic grid, with a branch above; the reverse inscribed with a branch and a motif containing two drilled circles. 42 grams, 69 mmVery fine condition, chipped.

Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992.
Thence by descent to family members.
Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11335-190939.

Cf. similar tablet in the collection of the British Museum, London, under accession number 114789.

Bearing a lexical text over two faces. 251 grams, 10.9 cm

Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992.
Thence by descent to family members.
Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.

Written over two principal faces and two side edges: 'From Warassa to Iluni comprising: 1. Usual greetings. 2. The king of Der asks Iluni to provide him with men because he lacks manpower to do the harvest. He offers to retain an escort when it returns from Susa. 2. Warassa justifies the small amount of copper he sent to Iluni at his request. The stock of copper in the palace of Der is empty and what was left had to be used for the manufacture of ex-voto for the god Ištaran. The remission of debts also contributed to the impoverishment of the palace. Nevertheless, Warassa bought copper and sent it to Ešnunna, which amounts to 5 talents. 4. A sum of money is sent to Iluni in exchange for the sending of 5 young people who will enter the service of the palace.' (M. Guichard). 238 grams, 11 cm

Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992.
Thence by descent to family members.
Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no. 201148.

Of pillow-shaped form, with numerical markings to one face. 47 grams, 53 mm

Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992.
Thence by descent to family members.
Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.

Small pillow-shaped tablet with crisp cuneiform text to two broad faces and one edge. 24.6 grams, 34 mm

From an important collection pre 1988.
J.L. collection, Surrey, UK, 2000s.

Plano-convex in form with cuneiform text to both faces. 183 grams, 81 mm wide

From an important collection formed before 1988.

Comprising a Meso library text over two faces, with content relating to religion. 519 grams, 12.9 cm

Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992.
Thence by descent to family members.
Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.

Rectangular mud-brick with 14 lines of impressed cuneiform text within a reserved border; supposed reference to 'Nabû-kudurri-uṣur' (Nebuchadnezzar); mounted in a custom-made display frame. 1.2 kg total, 27 x 20 cm

Ex B.A. family collection, Kent, pre 1990s.
E.P. collection, Cambridge,1990s-2000’s.
Latterly to the J.L. collection, Surrey, UK.

Nebuchadnezzar, known as 'the Great', was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 B.C. to his own death in 562 B.C. He is often regarded as the empire's greatest ruler due to his military victories and his renovations at Babylon.

Pillow-shaped and bearing text to both principal faces and one side edge. 26.8 grams, 35 mm

From an important collection formed before 1988.

Discoid in plan with a lentoid cross-section, bearing dense text to one face. 103 grams, 70 mm

From an important collection formed before 1988.