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LOT 1474
Herodian Second Temple Period Terracotta Oil Lamp
HOLY LAND, CIRCA EARLY 1ST CENTURY A.D.
3 1/8 in. (45.6 grams, 81 mm).
Squat and drum-shaped with raised rim to the filler hole, trapezoidal nozzle. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of Mr Brian Edwards, New Malden, Surrey, UK, formed from the late 1970s-early 1980s; thence by descent.
LiteratureCf. Młynarczyk, J., Terracotta oil lamps from Qumram: The Typology, in Revue Biblique, January 2013, T.120-1, pp.99-133, fig.5, lett. AF8.
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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Western Asiatic Bronze Head Appliqué
Late 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
D-shaped in plan and domed in section with hollow reverse, thick curls to the brow and beard; pierced headband above the brow. 44 grams, 41 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Western Asiatic Carnelian Intaglio
Late 19th-20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
An oval intaglio with a loosely arranged calligraphic inscription. 1.13 grams, 16 mm
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Private collection, London. -
'Professor Erlenmeyer’s First Cylinder Seal' A Neo-Sumerian Haematite Seal of Abbamu, Scribe, Son of Bazige
Mesopotamia, Third Dynasty of Ur, circa 2100-2000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £8,450
Finely carved in haematite with a formal presentation scene: a goddess sitting enthroned upon a dais, clad in a flounced robe and a multiple-horned tiara, her arm extended in reception; before her a similarly attired interceding goddess approaching, leading a robed worshipper into the divine presence; lunar crescent in the field, with three-line inscription within a panel: 'Abbamu, scribe, son of Bazige'; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 18 grams, 27 mm
From the private collection of Professor Dr. Hans (1900-1967) and Mrs Erlenmeyer, Switzerland. The Erlenmeyer Foundation, Basel Switzerland, since 1981. with Sotheby's, Western Asiatic Cylinder Seals and Antiquities from the Erlenmeyer Collection (Part 1), London, 9 July 1992, no.109. Private collection, London, UK. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Sotheby's catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13283-253486.
Prof Hans Erlenmeyer was a noted Swiss collector from 1943 to circa 1960; he and his wife established the Erlenmeyer Foundation. This seal is of particular note as the first cylinder seal given to Professor and Mrs Erlenmeyer. Its imagery belongs to the religious and political language of the Third Dynasty of Ur, when order was restored after the collapse of the Akkadian dynasty. In the eyes of the ancient Mesopotamians, that earlier collapse could be understood as a sign of divine displeasure; under Ur III, renewed piety and correct devotion assumed central importance. The presentation scene seen here reflects that world precisely: the seal owner is led by a minor goddess, or Lamma, into the presence of his personal deity. Seals of this class are valued for their exacting workmanship and disciplined clarity of design. Though they lack the freer energy of the Akkadian age, they possess instead a ceremonial gravity and devotional precision that are wholly characteristic of Neo-Sumerian art.
