LOT 1530

Jemdet Nasr White Stone Stamp Seal in the Form of a Lion with Engraved Animals

CIRCA 3000 B.C.

7/8 in. (6.9 grams total, seal: 24.5 mm).

Carved in the half-round as a stylised animal head, restrung with round red stone beads at each end, accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Stamp Seal of White Marble, 20 x 24 x 7.5 mm. This seal has the form of a lion's head on the top side, cut from a pebble with snout, mouth, eyes and ears marked by cuts in the stone. It is pierced from top to bottom in the middle. The flat base is engraved with five animals done mostly with the drill. One horned animal, and three springing rodents and one sheep (?) can be made out. Five almost vertical lines, four between the animals, one in the centre, probably represent snakes. This is a seal of the Jemdet Nasr period, c. 3000 B.C., from Sumer or south-west Iran, and is in very good state of preservation. It is an interesting example of sculpture from the dawn of history'; supplied with a museum-quality impression.

Ex Mr K. Kobayashi, Galerie Archaique Ltd, Osaka, Japan, prior to 1988.

Accompanied by a copy of an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1990.