Loading, please wait...
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:
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 1123
Mesopotamian Alabaster Lenticular Necklace Bead Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
-
Western Asiatic Turquoise Blue Glass Bead Necklace String
1st millennium B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £52
Restrung using mainly oblate beads. 5.16 grams, 44 cm long
UK gallery, early 2000s.
Turquoise has been known since prehistoric times, and it is widely used in jewellery in the Middle East (Egypt and Persia), the Far East (Tibet, Mongolia and China) and even by native North Americans. Turquoise was very fashionable also in Europe, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries. -
Amlash Bronze Mirror
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
With discoid body, remains of tinning to the front face, the reverse with sub-circular wreath composed of curved zigzags, waisted stem incised with chevrons to both faces, domed base with hatched lines to upper face and base. 138 grams, 11.6 cm
UK private collection before 2000. On the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. -
Old Babylonian Cuneiform Tablet
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,040
Pillow-shaped in form with cuneiform text in dense rows to one face. 104 grams, 77 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.
