Loading, please wait...
LOT 1221
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 3/8 in. (95 grams, 61 mm).
With rounded edges, obverse with an incised grid and dense cuneiform text across about half the available surface; reverse with remains of two columns of text; both ends absent. [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.
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.
-
Sabaean Alabaster Bull
3rd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,750
Carved in the round with integral rectangular base; of sturdy build with thick shoulders, rump and legs; latticed hair texture to the brow. 1.14 kg, 14 cm wide
Mrs Janssens, Belgium, 1970s. Private collection, London, UK. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S000119291. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12980-245246.
In Sabaean religion, the bull signalled strength, fertility, and divine protection, and is often linked by scholarship with the moon-god Almaqah, the principal deity of the kingdom. Small alabaster figures of this type were likely set up as temple offerings or served as fittings within cultic furnishings; flat undersides or discreet mounting points on some examples suggest attachment to a larger ensemble. -
Western Asiatic Mixed Gold Bead Collection
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
Comprising beads of various shapes and sizes, including some granulated examples. 9.82 grams total, 7-13 mm
Ex property of a late Japanese collector, 1970s. Accompanied by a previous typed cataloguing card. 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. -
Amlash Terracotta Vessel
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Comprising a piriform body and trumpet-shaped narrow neck, flat base. 398 grams, 21.8 cm
From a Mayfair gallery 1990s. Ex London, UK, collection. 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.