Modelled in the round with the head resting along the spine. 18 grams, 37 mm

Collected from 1970-1999.
From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.

Cf. Kozloff, A.P., Animals in Ancient Art, from the Leo Mildenberg collection, Cleveland, 1981, fig.12bis.

Tapering shank with bezel formed as a segmented inverted cone, with inset cabochon emerald, replicant sapphire, and rock crystal. 6.23 grams, 20.78 mm overall, 15.40 mm internal diameter (approximate size British I, USA 4 1/4, Europe 7.44, Japan 7)

Ex London, UK, collection of a gentleman, 1970s.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12267-221081.

Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, items 181, 251, for type.

With D-section hoop, scooped shoulders each with an incised heart-shaped motif, raised square bezel with Kufic inscription 'Yusef Abdullah'. 10.67 grams, 22.81 mm overall, 15.48 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 3/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)

From an old French collection believed to have been formed in the 1960s.
Acquired privately as part of a collection in the early 1990s.

Accompanied by a copy of a previous illustrated catalogue information page.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12268-214826.

Cf. Content, D.J. (ed.), Islamic Rings & Gems. The Zucker Collection, London, 1967, item 16, for type.

Exceptional slender tubular bead with tapering shape towards either end, carinated around the centre 8.6 grams, 93 mm

with Nefer Gallery, 1993.
From a European collection formed before 2000.
Property of a London gentleman.

Rebound as a hardback with cloth binding to spine and envelope flap, marbled boards; title page with naskh script text in a triangular block; text pages typically 25 lines of cramped black-ink script with red titles and diacritics; second quire with looser black-ink script, 22 lines per page with perpendicular marginal notes and numerical grids. 268 grams, 17 x 23.5 cm

From an important family collection started in the late 1950s.
Property of a West London, UK, gentleman.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12278-220407.

The texts are (1) 'Revealing and explaining the nature of precious stones and minerals in the Science of Chemistry' by Sheikh Shihab al-Din Ahmad bin Ahmad Zarruq al-Fassi, written out by Sahnoun bin Muhammad al-Wansharisi in 1139 A.H. (1726 A.D.) (2) 'Iwamie altaerif fi matalie altasrif' (On magic) written by Iman Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Ghazali al-Tusi who died in 505 A.H. (1111 A.D.). This copy was made in Tangier in 1139 A.H. (1726 A.D.).

Rebound as a hardback with full leather binding, drypoint border to covers and central geometric roundel; laid paper pages with usage wear to edges; title page with header block of calligraphic thuluth script in triangular block and several notes in different hands; each page with typically 21 lines of dense naskh script text in black with red underscoring and subdivision marks; occasional marginal notes and footnotes; one quire partly detached; extensive marginal wear to last few pages; copyist unnamed. 379 grams, 13.3 x 18.3 cm

From an important family collection started in the late 1950s.
Property of a West London, UK, gentleman.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12274-220412.

The text is 'Muthir algharam ala ziarat alqus w alshaam' (a book on history describing the journey to Jerusalem and the Levant) by Imam Jamal al-Din Abu Mahmoud Ahmad bin Muhammad Ibn Hilal al-Maqdisi al-Shafi'i who died in 765 A.H. (1363 A.D.). The copy is dated to 899 A.H. (1464 A.D.).

Rebound as a hardback with full leather binding, central arabesque foliage panel and foliage frame to front and back covers; title and end pages with liquid gold frame enclosing a pattern of geometric and floral blocks with Kufic script lozenge above calligraphic text; text pages with red-outlined rectangular panel and typically five lines of bold black-ink text with red diacritics and headers. 310 grams, 16.5 x 22.5 cm

From an important family collection started in the late 1950s.
Property of a West London, UK, gentleman.

The text is a Chinese version of the Qur'an, Juz' 25, Part 25.

Rectangular vellum leaf with liquid gold text and ornament, rectangular grid with liquid gold, red and green ink border, gold text with red diacritics; recto with additional panel of text in liquid gold, yellow, red and blue. 7.4 grams, 25 x 17.5 cm

From an important family collection started in the late 1950s.
Property of a West London, UK, gentleman.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12280-220413.

Rectangular layout with two large panels, liquid gold blocks with nastaliq text, left: mosque in elevation with the body formed from Kufic text, right: city in plan with architectural features and black Kaaba; geometric frames and text, scenes from Mecca; verso with cursive presentation text. 50 grams, 56 cm wide

From an important family collection started in the late 1950s.
Property of a West London, UK, gentleman.

Square vellum leaf with 9 lines of Kufic script to recto and 10 to verso, black ink with liquid gold, red and blue ink diacritics and embellishments, pricked layout grid. 15 grams, 24.5 x 22 cm

From an important family collection started in the late 1950s.
Property of a West London, UK, gentleman.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12281-220414.

Plain cylindrical shaft, bulbous towards the top with an incised animal face to the rear of the shaft, the blade with a convex cutting edge. 206 grams, 78 mm

with a London, UK gallery, 1971-early 2000s.

Cf. Mahboubian, H., Art of Ancient Iran, copper and bronze, London, 1997, p.170, fig.178b, for similar type; Gernez, G., L’armament en métal au Proche et Moyen-Orient: des origines a 1750 av. J.C., Paris, 2007, p.124, fig.2.6, subtype H2.B.b.

The type belongs to the Gernez classification of collared axes, with trapezoidal blade and cylindrical sleeve. This set of fairly standardised axes is characterised by a trapezoidal blade, a cylindrical collar with a clear moulding at its base and a marked angular moulding at its top, extending onto the top of the blade. This basic model is exclusively from Susa.

With crescentic blade and rounded knot at the butt, ornamental curved edging to the upper shaft hole, a cord edge on the upper and lower shaft hole, incised band around the edge of the blade; the butt inversed, forming a bearded human face. 246 grams, 94 mm

with a London, UK gallery, 1971-early 2000s.

Cf. Mahboubian, H., Art of Ancient Iran, copper and bronze, London, 1997, p.166, fig.172b, for identical type; Gernez, G., L’armament en métal au Proche et Moyen-Orient: des origines a 1750 av. J.C., Paris, 2007, p.146, fig.2.14, subtype H2.H.a.

The type corresponds to Gernez type H.2.H.a, axes with collar and short sleeve lined with mouldings, fan-shaped blade and rear knot. It was a variant only known in Elam and Luristan. In Luristan one identical specimen was found at Chigha Sabz (grave M7). In Elam, the majority of these axes were found in the Middle-Bronze Age (Age of Isin-Larsa or Early Babylonian Age) tombs of Sarcophagi, at Susa.