Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0206
Early Akkadian Shell Cylinder Seal with Attacking Lions
2400-2200 B.C.
1/4 - 1 1/8 in. (16.1 grams total, 8.1-29.57 mm).
With cord and bead handles; 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 Fossil Shell 30 x 16.5 mm. A god standing in the centre succours a domestic animal on either side which is being attack[ed] in turn by a lion. Terminal: two line[s] below vacant description panel. The seal is of late ED III or early Akkad date, c. 2400-2200 B.C. The cutting is marked by a strong use of the drill. The seal is worn, though the design clear. The meaning of the design is based on real life. Lions were a real threat to the herds and flocks of the community, and it was hoped that the depiction of a god coming to the rescue of the domestic creatures would mean that in real life their animals would be similarly saved by divine help.'; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
Provenance
UK private collection, acquired 1980-1983.
Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert in August 1990.
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.
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.
LOT 0206
Early Akkadian Shell Cylinder Seal with Attacking Lions
Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
RELATED LOTS
-
Western Asiatic Bronze Personal Seal Matrix for 'modda ibn Abdullah'
14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Comprising a domed body rising to a pierced suspension lug, underside with discoid plaque and reversed incuse Arabic legend: 'Modda ibn Abdullah', a personal name also serving as a religious expression roughly translating to, 'Don't be a slave to anyone but Allah'. 16.6 grams, 17 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London 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. -
Sumerian Cuneiform Tablet Listing Goods Including 10 Shekels of Silver
Akkadian Period, circa 2300-2200 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
Pillow-shaped ceramic tablet with one segmented surface; accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Clay tablet, 53x57 mm, with 16 Lines of Sumerian Cuneiform. There are two columns of writing on the obverse only, the second not quite complete. The script dates the tablet to the Akkadian period, c.2300-2200 B.C. There is a chip off the lower edge, but all the writing is in perfect state of preservation. The text is a scholarly list of words and phrases such as scribed writing ur legal and commercial documents might use. Not everything has been understood so far, but some things are perfectly clear: A pot of lard; Bronze; x* of a mina of copper * apparently a fraction; Female kid; Male kid; Its silver 10 shekels; Bed of oak? Scholarly tablets of this kind are extremely rare for the Old Akkadian period. They are part of the scholarly list tradition which is a prominent feature of this civilization.' 68 grams, 58 mm
Ex private collection of Mr S H; thence by descent,1980-1990. 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. -
Western Asiatic Terracotta Figural Plaque
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Rectangular in plan with raised ends, standing female figure wearing a diadem modelled in the half-round. 76 grams, 12.6 cm
From the private collection of a Canadian gentleman living in Essex, UK, formed since the 1920s-circa 1990. Property of an Essex lady until the late 1990s; thence by descent. From the private collection of an Essex gentleman since the late 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.
