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LOT 1082
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
1 5/8 in. (35.3 grams, 42 mm).
Pillow-shaped fragment with cuneiform text to both broad faces. [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.
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.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 11.217.15, for similar.
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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Mesopotamian Stone Vessel
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Square in section and rectangular in profile with slight flare to the upper end, drilled socket. 441 grams, 10 cm high
From a collection formed before 1990. Ex Mayfair, London, UK, gallery, 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. -
Western Asiatic Terracotta Seated Male Figure Holding an Axe
Circa 2nd-1st millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £468
Free-standing and with stylised applied face, hair and beard detailing, his hands held together in his lap. 155 grams total, 11 cm high including stand
Collected from 1979-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK. From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent. 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. -
Achaemenid Heavy Gold Earring Pair
Circa 6th-4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
A matched pair of large earrings decorated with pomegranates on the outer edge, the crescentic body divided in transversal grooves representing the abdomen of a bee, with granulation on the inner and outer edge, a horizontal gold wire with circlets to the centre. 23.78 grams total, 38 mm each
From a private family collection formed since the early 19th century, thence by descent. Property of a New Zealand legal professional. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12326-223715. 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.
Fruit were generally considered to be a symbol of sensuality, temptation and fertility; the giving and accepting of fruit may be regarded as a symbolic sexual act, or at least a prelude to marriage. It follows naturally that the pomegranate, with its innumerable fleshy seeds symbolising life and fecundity, was an attribute of Aphrodite.