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LOT 0242
Mesopotamian Clay Bulla with Clay Tokens
URUK, 3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 in. (74 grams, 50 mm).
Spherical, undecorated bulla envelope containing clay tokens. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceSpecialised 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.
Accompanied by a previous cataloguing slip.
Small globular and hollow clay balls are defined as 'bulla'. They are also known as ‘bulla-envelopes', some of which are plain and some displaying epigraphic, zoomorphic and/or figural decoration, impressed by either cylinder or stamp seals. Bullae first emerged in Mesopotamia, and their earliest occurrence can be traced to circa 8000 B.C. Most known decorated bullae come from the Uruk area and offer an insight into its culture.
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 Bone Idol Group
2nd century B.C.-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Comprising: figure of plano-convex section with hatched detailing; square-section bar with ring-and-dot motifs. 13.63 grams, 65.84-75.34 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Double Animal Mount
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Comprising a short stem with pierced lug finial flanked by two addorsed beast-heads; mounted on a cupped base with attachment loops beneath. 22.47 grams, 44.29 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Western Asiatic Pink Stone Cylinder Seal with Figural Scene
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Frieze comprising a standing figure with wings spread above two ring-and-dot motifs, altar with bowl on a stem, facing nude figure with arms bent, second figure with floor-length robe; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 2.44 grams, 19.5 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
