Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1004
Large Jewish Sealing with Menorah
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
5/8 in. (3.9 grams, 15 mm).
Of discoid form displaying a menorah in raised relief, bird and snake to the other.
Provenance
Acquired 1969-1999.
From the private collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK, thence by descent.
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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Southern Mesopotamian Ceramic Mother Goddess Figure
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
The figure with two pierced ears and painted face detailing, neck ornamentation and arm bangles, continuing to the reverse; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 61 grams total, 13 cm high including stand
Ex UK collection formed in the 1980s. Acquired on the London art market. Accompanied by an Artemission, London SW5, certificate of authenticity.
Terracotta was a favoured material for the production of idols in the ancient Near East, the idols themselves representing deities, particularly goddesses that were connected to fertility. Such idols could even represent worshippers themselves. The Neo-Hittite civilisation, also known as the 'Syro-Hittite' civilisation, existed during the Iron Age in the areas that are now modern day northern Syria and Southern Anatolia. The Hittite empire collapsed around the 12th century B.C., an event which was proceeded by the decline of the Eastern Mediterranean trade networks, together with the fall of the major late Bronze Age cities in the Levant, Anatolia, and the Aegean. -
Large Amlash Openwork Bead
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Hollow-formed biconvex bead with rib detailing, central openwork section. 23.3 grams, 52 mm
English collection, 1990s. Ex North London gallery. -
Neo-Assyrian Bronze Two-Piece Belt Buckle with Winged Genii
9th-7th century B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Comprising two halves decorated in chased low relief, each half with a standing winged figure dressed in long embroidered tunic, holding a stylised snake(?) in the raised hand, the other hand extended along the wing; the left side with three attachment hooks and the right side with a perforated plaque with two lines of holes providing the possibility of extending the belt. 191 grams total, 80 mm each
Nice bronze patina with small scratches on the surface, antique deformations
Acquired prior to 2000. British private collection of Mr D.M., London, UK. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11753-202365.
The genii symbolised both protection and fertility - their role was to safeguard and replenish the ancient kingdom of Assyria and therefore, on a personal buckle, the wearer of the belt. The representation of divine genii upon a belt plaque provided a link with the king and with the royal family, and it could be that such a belt was worn by important dignitaries, although the structure of the belt and its composition exclude the possibility of military use.