Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 1407

Mesopotamian Cuneiform Envelope Fragment Group

UR III, CIRCA 21ST CENTURY B.C.

5/8 - 1 1/2 in. (28 grams total, 17-37 mm).

Fragments from different envelopes, some with remains of cylinder sealing or cuneiform lettering. [8, No Reserve]

Provenance

London, UK, art market, 1980s.
Private collection, London, UK.

CONDITION

VETTING:

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 1407

Mesopotamian Cuneiform Envelope Fragment Group

Sold for (Inc. bp): £85

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Achaemenid Gold Ring with Agate Bull
    Achaemenid Gold Ring with Agate Bull
    Circa 500 B.C.

    Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £2,500

    Comprising a round-section swivel ring set with a carved Apis bull depicted recumbent with its head turned to the right. 4.71 grams, 27.98 mm overall, 19.07 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13)



    Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12939-245988.

    The Apis bull was a sacred animal in ancient Egyptian religion, worshipped as a living manifestation of the god Ptah and later associated with Osiris and Ra. Regarded as an intermediary between the gods and humanity, the Apis bull was chosen based on specific physical characteristics, such as a black coat with unique white markings. Once identified, it was housed in a grand temple in Memphis, where it was treated with great reverence, adorned with jewellery, and participated in important religious ceremonies. Upon its death, the bull underwent elaborate mummification and burial rituals, symbolising its transition to the afterlife and its continued divine role. The cult of the Apis bull highlights the Egyptians’ deep connection to animals as symbols of divine power and their belief in the interconnectedness of the mortal and spiritual worlds.

    Lot Details

  • Sasanian Gold Pendant with Three Registers
    Sasanian Gold Pendant with Three Registers
    6th-7th century A.D.

    Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (‡+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £400

    Ovoid in plan with loop to the narrow end, repoussé pellets to the rim, star-and-crescent motifs, and ropework borders. 3.47 grams, 45 mm



    Acquired by a Swiss family in the mid-1980s to late 1990s, thence by descent. Private collection, Switzerland, since the late 1990s.

    Lot Details

  • Simon Stylite Terracotta Pilgrims Token
    Simon Stylite Terracotta Pilgrim's Token
    6th-8th century A.D.

    Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £100

    Plano-convex in section with impressed design of a nimbate figure crouching atop a column, flanked by levitating angels and standing nimbate figures, all within a pelleted border. 11.9 grams, 32 mm



    Ex important Christian collection, 1970s.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list