Aramaic Stone Scaraboid Seal

With two rows of human and animal figures, restrung pair of red stone beads, old handwritten label '1544'; accompanied by a copy of an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Description of Cylinder Seal of Red Jasper, 37 x 12 mm. The upper register shows a seated figure with one arm raised, the other resting on the waist, a human hand(?) between knees and raised arm; two recumbent quadrupeds one above the other, one winged; two standing stags sideways, with heads turned back. The lower register shows, in a scene marked off by a ladder pattern, three standing humans with both hands raised before a tent-like structure with some object affixed to its upper front, two dots behind the structure. The registers are separated by a line with a row of simple crosses beneath it. This is in a rare Levantine style of c. 1500-1000 B.C. The lower register seems to show an act of worship. The condition is almost fine save for a little chipping at the bottom'; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 10.2 grams, 37 mm



UK private collection, acquired 1980-1983. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert in 1987. 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.

Composed of alternating tabular flower-shaped and grooved cylindrical beads interspersed with small glass oblate beads; restrung. 29.09 grams, 43.5 cm



From the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. 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.

Rectangular clay tablet with cuneiform text to both broad faces. 138 grams, 96 mm



Ex Oriental Dar Antiques, Jerusalem, 1967. European private collection. Accompanied by a thermoluminescence analysis report no.N125e33 from Oxford Authentication. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12770-237184. 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.

Old Babylonian tablets were found in regular excavations from Khafaje and Kish, although still today the main body came from dealers. A definite date can be assigned to them only on the basis of internal evidence. The scripts of the tablets varies a good deal: some tablets are written in archaic cursive, others in younger cursive, still others mix archaic and younger sign forms.