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LOT 0209
Early Dynastic Terracotta Administrative Cuneiform Tablet Recording Livestock and their Owners
IIIB, 2400-2340 B.C.
3 in. (202 grams, 78 mm).
Pillow-shaped tablet with dense cuneiform text to two broad faces and one edge, concerning the listing of 146 sheep and their owners or shepherds:
| Column I | Column II | Column III |
|---|---|---|
5 sheep, Pirigni, Kor 2? 6 male sheep, Ur-ur of Umma 3 sheep, Zag-mu, ki ni mu zu 5 sheep, x x-gi 4 male sheep … | Ur-Ishkur, herder of Abdu 4 sheep, Urgu (of) E-RU 2 … , herder IL, scribe 3 Gimni, herder chief galla-official 5 male sheep, Ur-lu, .. 2 sheep Lu-ra, herder… | …, herder 2 male sheep, Akadu, son of Lugal-sanga 2 Shesh-zimu 3 Zagmu, Akadu 2 Ekalsi 1 Gimdu, son of Ekal 2 Mashda 1 … Guzi… 2 …kam … NA |
| Column IV | Reverse Column V | Column VI |
2 Ur-…dua 6 Zagmu, herder of Mesanne 1 Urtul 3 GISH.MI, herder of Ilum-su?ni 4 Lugal-shalasu Adda, singer? 5 Almu 2 Ur-Ezida IGI MI ZI SI | 3 Lueshla 2 Ur-… NE-RA 8 Azuzu 2 Adda, captain 1 En…du, nuesh-officiant 3 Sheshpadda, overseer 2 … ki-bi … … 6 E… | 1 Ur… … 1 Ur … 1 … 3 Dingir-urmu 1 Pirigni Da… 1 Ur-Ninshaza, wife of U-u 4 Lugallu, herder of Lugalla…, majordomo 5 …igi-en … 1 Lugal-E…nisi |
| Column VII | Column VIII | Total |
4 E-gish MI bi?, .., farmer 1 Ur-dingir, …si-TExESZ3 1 … 1 Lugal-nuduga 1 Aba-Enlil 1 Lugal … 2 Urmes 1 Urdam 1 Akadu, Adda… 1 U-u, … Umunene | 2 … -niE-u? (space) | Its total: 146 sheep, … Pirigni (is) kush-official. |
with Laemmle Gallery, San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, USA.
Acquired from the above in the early 1970s.
with Bonhams, London, 13 April 2011, no.133.
Private central European collection.
Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages.
Accompanied by a copy of the translation for this tablet.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12121-218147.
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.
See Pomponio, F. and Visicato, G., I mezzi di pagamento nei contratti di Fara e il loro rapport con il funzionario bala, Studia Asiana, 7, pp.149-166, Roma, 2011, for discussion of territorial sales and their documentation in cuneiform ceramic records.
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LOT 0209
Early Dynastic Terracotta Administrative Cuneiform Tablet Recording Livestock and their Owners
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000€17,400 - 23,200 (for guidance only)$20,250 - 27,000 (for guidance only)
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Old Akkadian Cylinder Seal with Drinking Scene
Circa 2300-2200 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,300
Cylinder 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: 'Cylinder Seal of Black Stone, 31 x 19 mm. The scene consist of three figures: on the left is a god, marked out by his horned tiara, and sitting on an angular stool generally thought to represent a temple facade. Facing him is a human seated on a more practical seat, with crossing legs. Each holds a straw to a pot in the middle, from which they are or will be drinking. Behind the god stands an attendant with one hand raised. For a terminal there is a stylised tree. This is an old Akkadian drinking scene, c. 2300-2200 B.C., from Mesopotamia or south-west Iran. It is an important example because normally both figures look either divine or human, but here one, is clearly divine and the other human. The drink in the pot is beer, and straws were used because it was not strained, and all the husks of the barley were in the liquid, and were strained out by the straws.'; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 22.5 grams, 31 mm
UK private collection, acquired 1980-1983. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert in January 1992. 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. -
Large Amlash Terracotta Vessel
Early 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,350
Of zoomorphic form, with a globular body, u-section spout and loop handle to the rear. 846 grams, 30 cm wide
Acquired before 1978. Private collection, UK. Accompanied by a thermoluminescence analysis report no.N125e39 from Oxford Authentication. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12703-235149. 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 Stone Pyxis in Veined Black and White Stone
4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £494
Comprising a hemispherical body with broad flat shoulder and low rim. 238 grams, 70 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, 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.
