Loading, please wait...
LOT 1215
Large Sumerian Terracotta Bulla Envelope with Impressed Decoration
URUK PERIOD, 5500-3100 B.C.
2 7/8 in. (243 grams, 72 mm).
Spherical and hollow-formed with moulded animal and other ornament to the outer face; clay tokens inside.
ProvenanceSpecialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1988.
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.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.
Accompanied by a copy of a previous two page illustrated cataloguing note, collection no.23.
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.
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.
LOT 1215
Large Sumerian Terracotta Bulla Envelope with Impressed Decoration
Sold for (Inc. bp): £702
-
Western Asiatic Lapis Lazuli Bead Necklace String
1st millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £143
Composed of small biconical and annular beads; restrung. 6.42 grams, 41 cm
Ex UK art market, London, 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. -
Tel Halaf Mother Goddess Fertility Figure
6th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Modelled in the round crouching female figure with hands supporting the breasts, knees drawn up, pinched facial features and applied-band headdress; pigment detailing to shoulders and thighs; restored. 71 grams, 86 mm
Acquired in York, Yorkshire, UK. Ex P. Watson collection, UK, 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.
In the 7th millennium BC, cultures in the Near East began creating organised settlements with developed religious and funerary practices. The Halaf culture of Anatolia and northern Syria produced a variety of figures representing females and associated with fertility. It is not known whether figures such as this were intended to represent real, ideal, or divine women. However, scholars believe that their primary purpose was to encourage female fertility. -
Old Babylonian Terracotta Astarte Figure
19th-16th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Standing nude with arms folded across the midriff; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 59 grams total, 11.5 cm high including stand
Audrey Davies, Astarte Gallery, London, UK, 1986. Ex private UK collection. 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.
