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LOT 0272
Achaemenid Gold Inlaid Lotus Flower Pendant Set
5TH-4TH CENTURY B.C.
3/4 - 1 in. (10 7/8 x 11 in.) (36.60 grams total, 18-26 mm (case: 1 kg total, 27.5 x 28 cm)).
Comprising twelve pendants, each formed as an open lotus blossom with the parts of the flower inlaid with different semiprecious stones: the pistil in red carnelian, stamens and the base of the flower in turquoise, and the outer petals in lapis lazuli; accompanied by a custom-made velvet-lined display case. [12]
Provenancewith a London, UK gallery, 1971-early 2000s.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12170-220647.
Cf. Carter, M.L., Goldstein, S., Harper, P.O., Kawami, T.S., Meyers, P., Splendors of the Ancient East, Antiquities from the al-Sabah collection, London, 2013, for a pendant in shape of a gold button in similar style; Kantor, J., Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol.16, no.1, Jan.1957, pp.1-23, for a general discussion on Achaemenid jewellery.
FootnotesThe wealth of the Persian Empire of the Achaemenids was proclaimed by the ancient writers: the Greeks described the fabulous riches known by hearsay to be in the royal treasures, and described the gold furniture, vessels and jewellery often seen during Hellenic contacts with this Eastern Empire. These elegant lotus-shaped pendants with their multicoloured stone inlays give us some idea of the personal ornamentation carried by the aristocratic Persian women.
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LOT 0272
Achaemenid Gold Inlaid Lotus Flower Pendant Set
Estimate £30,000 - 40,000€34,800 - 46,400 (for guidance only)$40,500 - 54,000 (for guidance only)
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Western Asiatic Stone Cylinder Seal Trial Piece
2nd-1st millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £46
Steatite or talc with two columns of cuneiform text, un-drilled: -num, son of Ad-da-al(?)-a/za(?); possibly unfinished. 6.06 grams, 30 mm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector, collection no.083. London collection, 2016. -
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Bactrian Camel Applique
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
A finely modelled two-humped camel, shown in a dynamic pose, possibly in the act of kneeling and balancing its body weight on its bent back and front legs; mounted in a display frame. 245 grams total, 17.5 cm including frame
Ex London, UK, gallery, 1971-early 2000s. Property of a London gentleman.
Camels were a symbol of wealth and well-being. The importance of the Bactrian camel is attested in the ancient sources. The two-humped Bactrian camel, object of many seal representations, was already widespread in North India during the first quarter of the 2nd millennium B.C. It was probably an Aryan introduction. The Mitanni came from Bactria and Margiana and maintained a close connection with their regions of origin, via Khorasan, as can be suggested by the presence of Bactrian camels on the Mitanni seals. -
West Central Asian Bronze Stamp Seal with Pig
23rd-20th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
A bronze seal in the form of a standing pig, accompanied by a typed and signed note by the late W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Stamp Seal of Bronze, 37 x 61 x 14mm. This has the shape of a standing pig, with no ears marked, but with a short tail and big round eye. Its snout is raised. The seal has a flat, compartmented face, and flat back on which a handle of sheet metal is mounted. This comes from west central Asia and dates to c. 2300-2000 B.C. It has a rare and attractive design, and is in very good condition save that the hind leg is broken off. The metal has been conserved.' 37 grams, 61 mm
Ex Signo collection, the property of a West London businessman, formed in the late 1980s-early 1990s; collection number R-770, academically researched and catalogued by the late Professor Lambert in the early 1990s.
