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LOT 1123
Mesopotamian Alabaster Lenticular Necklace Bead Group
CIRCA 3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.
1/8 - 3/8 in. (53 grams total, 3-10 cm).
Comprising a quantity of disc-shaped beads, each pierced for stringing. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceUK gallery, early 2000s.
LiteratureCf. Golani, A., Jewelry from the Iron Age II Levant, Zurich, 2013, fig.30.3, for similar beads
FootnotesWhile slaves and the poorest people wore simple, functional clothes, the wealthiest classes of Mesopotamia could afford beautifully made jewellery. The royal tombs from Sumeria dating from around 2500 B.C. included an abundance of beaded necklaces, rings, bracelets for the wrist and ankles, stickpins, and other jewellery, made of gold and silver set with decorative gemstones such as deep blue lapis lazuli, red carnelian, white alabaster, and sparkling crystals. In the Lugale-Mythos the Alabaster is personified like a hero: ‘(And) the hero Alabaster, these heroes plundered the cities for him (= Asag)’. The hematite and the limestone/alabaster, two stones with a light and dark base colour, were used as aids in a divinatory ritual in which they were probably connected with the favourable and unfavourable answers to oracle inquiries.
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 Silver Ring with Inscription
Circa 15th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Comprising a D-section hoop with a lozenge plaque to the base, scrolled triangular plaque to each shoulder; octofoil bezel with textured field surrounding the central inscription. 4.05 grams, 21.37 mm overall, 16.86 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13)
UK private collection before 2000. On the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. -
Large Amlash Bronze Spouted Libation Vessel
Circa 1200-1000 B.C.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,000
With a thin-walled body and flaring foot, a separately made long spout rivetted to the body; the U-shaped spout resembling the beak of a bird with stylised linear feather detailing to the gracefully curving neck, eleven domed rivets to the edges; the base of the foot with concentric circle decoration. 736 grams, 47 cm
Acquired in the 1960s. From the collection of Mr Jay Gluck (1927-2000) & Mrs Sumi Hiramoto Gluck. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12061-214190.
Jay Gluck was an American archaeologist and specialist in the history of Persian art. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1949 in Archaeology and Middle Eastern Studies. In 1966 he became director of the Asia Institute of the Pahlavi University in Iran. He is also well known for republishing the work of Arthur Upham Pope, A Survey of Persian Art. -
Sassanian Necklace with Gold Pendants
3rd-7th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £910
A restrung necklace composed of carnelian and lozengiform lapis lazuli beads interspersed with later gold filigree beads; later hook-and-eye closure. 24.9 grams, 44.5 cm long
Very fine condition.
Acquired before 1983. Ex London gallery, 1990s.
