Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1244
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 1/8 in. (47 grams, 53 mm).
Bifacial, pillow-shaped with cuneiform text to one face and one edge; one corner absent. [No Reserve]
Provenance
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.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Literature
Cf. cuneiform text tablet now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.86.11.282.
CONDITIONVETTING:
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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Western Asiatic Bronze Decorated Bracelet
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Penannular in form with low-relief hatched panels and other ornament. 47 grams, 72 mm
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London, UK, gentleman. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Western Asiatic Mixed Gold Bead Group
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Mainly granule clusters in rings. 4.94 grams total, 3-6 mm
Ex property of a late Japanese collector, 1970-2000s. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Mitanni Faience Cylinder Seal with Kneeling God and Animals
1500-1200 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Cylinder with cord and bead handles; accompanied by a copy of an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder Seal of Faience, Cream, 29 x 14 mm. The area of the design is divided into a smaller upper and a larger lower register. In the upper register are three horned animals, two with their heads down browsing, the third recumbent with its head up. In the lower register there is a kneeling god holding up a dead horned animal by its hind leg; two standing figures (priests) with a stylized tree between them; and two facing sphynxes above a fallen horned animal. This seas belongs to the Mittani common style, c. 1500-1200 B.C., and is one of the better specimens of its type. It probably comes from Syria, though Mitanni seals are found also in Palestine, Anatolia and Northern Mesopotamia. This double register type seems to be restricted to Syria. The tree is a symbol of the storm god, Teshub, but it is not known which god is represented by the horned animal.'; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 6.44 grams total, 8.1-28.8 mm
UK private collection, acquired 1980-1983. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert in August 1990. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.