Mesopotamian Amethyst and Gold Bead Necklace

With a tapering round-section shank, finial topped with a ram's head. 110 grams, 16.5 cm



From the collection of late George Withers, UK. Acquired from Dore and Rees, UK. Property of Mr A.B., an American collector.

The corpus of pins from Hasanlu includes simple plain pins, pins with lion's head and other zoomorphic pins. The zoomorphic pins were either cast onto a bronze shank or the pin was inserted into a hollow of the head. A third category was that of the pins cast in one piece, like our specimen, representing a goat or mouflon, an animal often depicted in the North-West Persian material culture.

Designer necklace comprising tubular and fusiform lapis lazuli beads. 30 grams, 58 cm long



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

Biconvex in profile with impressed lines dividing the face into zones, each with impressed dots, triangles or other symbols, some extending onto the edges. 68 grams, 55 mm



From a specialised collection of cuneiform texts, formed in the 1950s-1990s. The property of a London gentleman and housed in London, 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 1990s. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12242-220893.