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LOT 1731
Large Byzantine Bone Decorated Spindle Whorl
6TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/2 in. (19 grams, 38 mm).
Plano-convex in section with radiating ring-and-dot motifs.
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
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 Stone Cylinder Seal with Presentation Scene
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Frieze with two figures flanking a vertical altar, two fleeing animals to the rear, objects in the field; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 1.87 grams, 15.77 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Mesopotamian Clay Bulla with Clay Tokens
Uruk, 3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £975
Spherical, undecorated bulla envelope containing clay tokens. 74 grams, 50 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. Accompanied by a previous cataloguing slip.
Small globular and hollow clay balls are defined as 'bulla'. They are also known as ‘bulla-envelopes', some of which are plain and some displaying epigraphic, zoomorphic and/or figural decoration, impressed by either cylinder or stamp seals. Bullae first emerged in Mesopotamia, and their earliest occurrence can be traced to circa 8000 B.C. Most known decorated bullae come from the Uruk area and offer an insight into its culture. -
Western Asiatic Glazed Terracotta Fertility Figure
Late 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £120 - 170 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £67
Modelled in the half-round; D-shaped in section with applied black pigment detailing to hair and midriff; some iridescence. 23.2 grams, 92 mm
Ex private collection, London, UK, 1969-1999.
