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LOT 0283
Babylonian Carnelian Frog-Shaped Amulet
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
3/4 in. (2.33 grams, 19 mm).
Carved in the round with hind legs folded behind the body, pierced at the stomach.
ProvenancePrivate collection, acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s; thence by descent.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0283
Babylonian Carnelian Frog-Shaped Amulet
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
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Qaznavid Decorated Bronze Bowl
12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Hemispherical in profile with incised design of concentric rings to the inner face. 205 grams, 15.7 cm
Ex 'S' collection, London, UK, 1970s-1990s. -
Babylonian Cuneiform Tablet Section
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Fragment of a pillow-shaped tablet with impressed cuneiform text to the outer surface. 51.8 grams, 50 mm
From an old English collection formed before 1990. Acquired from Alan Cherry, Bournemouth, Dorset. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Middle Assyrian Brick-Shaped Tablet with Funerary Inscription for Adad-Shumu-lesir’s Tomb
1363-912 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,200
A rectangular brick-shaped tablet, inscribed in cuneiform script across three vertical faces, with a single column to the fourth and a continuation of text across the top surface; the inscription a funerary curse relating to the tomb of Adad-šumu-lešir, warning against interference with the burial, reading in part: 'As for a stranger, or somebody who would approach that tomb, or would bring up a corpse out of it and bury his own within, or would touch the silver inside - Adad, Šamaš, or Nergal will fill his house and field with shortage, collapse, and murder. He will repay the property of that tomb sevenfold, dedicating it to Šuriha. For the offspring of Adad-šumu-lešir he shall be undone for taking out and bringing down objects in the tomb, and for burying another body within it. Month Kalmartu, third day, eponymy of Aššur-mušezib.' 333 grams, 14.3 cm
Acquired in 1996. 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.12872-241667.
This Middle Assyrian brick-shaped tablet bears a funerary inscription for the tomb of Adad-shumu-lesir, a name that reflects devotion to the storm god Adad, an important deity in the Assyrian pantheon. Tablets of this kind were often placed within or near tombs as a lasting record of the individual and to mark ownership or dedication of the burial space. The brick-like form reflects the architectural traditions of Mesopotamia, where inscribed bricks were commonly used in both building and commemorative contexts. Such inscriptions not only honoured the deceased but also served to preserve their name and memory, which was believed to be essential for the afterlife. Objects like this provide valuable insight into Assyrian funerary practices and the importance placed on remembrance and identity beyond death.
