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LOT 1242
Babylonian Black Stone Inscribed Duck Weight
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C. OR LATER
3/4 in. (3.92 grams, 20 mm).
Rectangular in section with cuneiform inscription to the upper face. [No Reserve]
Provenancewith Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983.
Ex private North American collection.
London private collection, 2016.
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AUCTIONS:
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Western Asiatic Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Bifacial, triangular in plan with one rounded edge; impressed grid and cuneiform texts to both broad faces and one edge; likely one corner of a pillow-shaped tablet. 35 grams, 48 mm
London, UK, art market, 1980s. From the collection of G.M.R.H., London, UK. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Cup
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Hemispherical in profile with thin rim. 140 grams, 92 mm
Ex 1990s collection and with a central London gallery. -
Babylonian Head of Humbaba
900-700 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Modelled in the half-round with hollow reverse; thick band of hair above the brow, small deep-set eyes, broad nose and mouth with three raised bands extending to a short beard; mounted on a custom-made stand. 128 grams total, 11.5 cm including stand
London art market, 1995. Private collection, Switzerland. Private collection, London. 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.12971-245208.
Humbaba (or Huwawa) was a demon of Mesopotamian legend, most famously described in the Epic of Gilgamesh. He was appointed by the god Enlil as the terrifying guardian of the Cedar Forest, a place of the gods. His grotesque features, with glaring eyes and monstrous expressions, were said to strike fear into anyone who saw him. Babylonian representations of Humbaba often emphasise this fierce appearance, with distorted facial traits designed to ward off evil. Such images could serve an apotropaic purpose, protecting people and places from harm, while also evoking one of the most memorable figures of Babylonian mythology.
