Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0206
Babylonian Cylinder Seal with King and Bull-Men
CASSITE PERIOD, CIRCA 1400-1100 B.C.
7/8 in. (2.8 grams, 22 mm).
With three standing figures; accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder Seal of Fawn, Colourless and Whitish Agate, 22.5 x 9 mm. The design shows two standing bull-men holding between them a pole-standard with a kind of fleur-de-lis on top. There is a cuneiform inscription in Babylonian language: sa-ki-in (May god be merciful) / na4kisib an-ni (to the one equipped) / ilum li-re-en-s[u] (with this seal. This is a Cassite-period Babylonian seal, c. 1400-1100 B.C. It is a rare design for the period and the inscription may be unique. The seal is chipped at the edges, and is joined from two pieces with no loss of surface, and is in an attractive stone.' [No Reserve]
Provenance
Academically researched and catalogued by the late Professor Lambert in the early 1990s.
From a collection acquired from various auction houses in the UK.
From the estate of Mr R.W., a private Wiltshire, UK, collector; thence by descent.
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.
VETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Western Asiatic Limestone Mortar
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
With short columnar base and bulbous upper body, broad rim with pouring lip. 4.85 kg, 13 cm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
The later (2nd -3rd century A.D.) Rabbinic tradition emphasised the difference between the permanent mortar (makhtesh kevua) and the movable one (makhtesh metaltelet), with the first being automatically sold with the house, but the second sold only if expressly stated by the vendor. This form of movable mortar was common in the Levant throughout the second half of the 1st millennium B.C. -
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £598
Pillow-shaped clay tablet with cuneiform text to both broad faces; chipped. 60.7 grams, 59 mm
Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. Thence by descent to family members. Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. -
Mesopotamian Agate Cylinder Seal with Bull's Head
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Carved with zoomorphic figures, astrological symbols and geometric decoration, central bull's head with a star below and two large insects on the field. 6.78 grams, 24 mm
From the property of late Mr SM, London, UK, 1969-1999. Accompanied by an old collection ticket.
