Amorite Terracotta Animal

Representing a god with horned helmet, half animal and half man, standing on the left and holding a staff, near him the hero Gilgamesh killing Humbaba, and the hero Enkindu killing the celestial bull, followed by a mythological divinity depicted as half animal and half human; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 27 grams, 33 mm



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12577-232112. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

King Sargon of Akkad created political unity when he seized control of Mesopotamia, and carvings on seals from the time demonstrate his success by portraying the power the Akkadian gods had to legitimize both their domain and their rulers. Religious scenes on cylinder seals detail the spiritual beliefs and practices of the time. The deeply intertwined relationship between religion and state power in Akkad is also present in the decorations of some cylinder seals. Here the hero Gilgamesh, embodying the strength of royal power, kills the monster Humbaba, as the king of Akkad kills his enemies.

A heavy example modelled in the round with slender elongated trunk, thick neck and prominent horns, vestigial ears below; Anatolian workmanship. 1.32 kg, 19.2 cm



with Christie's, New York, 8 June 2001, no.363. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages. 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 a search certificate number no.12414-226675. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Bulls with raised horns have been found in central Anatolian royal burials. Among the sacred animals found in the royal graves of Alacahöyük, the bull and the deer are always present. This simplified figure of a young and spritely standing bull recalls the Baltimore bull and other two examples in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Images of bulls were mounted on standards, used in battlefields or in religious processions, or like in the royal graves of Alacahöyük, they were used to decorate cult furniture or shrines.

Discoid with large looped handle to the reverse; accompanied by 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, 22 x 20 x 26mm. This has a round, slightly concave face and a back which rises steeply to a stalk handle with pierced loop. The design on the face, done in intaglio, consists of a walking winged quadruped with tail raised. This comes from west central Asia and dates to c. 2000-1500 B.C. It is a less common type, and the metal is sound.' 21 grams, 26 mm



Ex collection of a late London gentleman, 1990s. Accompanied by an original typed and signed scholarly note by the late W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.