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LOT 0233
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Foundation Nail
3RD-2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
3 3/4 in. (322 grams, 96 mm).
Conical foundation nail fragment with broad domed top, columns of cuneiform text to the shank.
ProvenanceAcquired in London in 1995.
European private collection.
Cf. similar item in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.45.90, for type.
FootnotesTemple nails or cones were placed in the foundations of newly-built temples. Their form imitates nails or pegs and they bear inscriptions stating the name of the reigning king and regnal year, and the god(s) to whom the temple was dedicated.
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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Persian Painting Depicting Nader Shah Slaying Deve
Late 18th-early 19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Dynamic scene depicting an armed warrior attacking a demon with a khanjar dagger; the demon with leopard-spots to his skin, clutching a mace in his left hand; second demon looking on from the rear; oil on paper mâché mounted in a wooden frame. 512 grams, 48 x 36 cm
Property of K.P., a Cornish lady collector, UK. -
Abbasid Gold Pendant
Circa 8th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Formed as a paisley motif with a cusped edge and applied granulation; granulated suspension loop to the top. 5.50 grams, 34.60 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. Accompanied by a previous catalogue information slip. -
Sumerian Tablet within Envelope with Cylinder Seal Impressions
3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,470
Comprising an envelope with intact tablet within, the outer face covered with cylinder seal impressions, small part opening to reveal the tablet inside. 115 grams, 55 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. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.
