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LOT 1430
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 1/4 in. (70 grams, 57 mm).
The middle section of a pillowform tablet with cuneiform text on both sides. [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.
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AUCTIONS:
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Western Asiatic Bronze Bifacial Pendant with Inscription
12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Teardrop-shaped with integral loop, obverse with lobed plant motif, reverse with seven lines of Arabic script. 16 grams, 52 mm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s. -
Western Asiatic White and Beige Stone Bead Necklace String
1st millennium B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £46
A mixed group of beads restrung to a Y-shape. 16.56 grams, 31.5 cm
From London, UK, gallery collection, 1990s. -
Old Babylonian Terracotta Head of a Demon
1900-1800 B.C.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £600
Modelled in the round, depicting the (severed?) head of a Mesopotamian demon, with iconic facial features in relief; hollow with a vent to the neck; produced from a two-piece mould, with a median seam through the facial features. 191 grams, 87 mm
Private collection, Israel. with Holy Land House of Antiquities, Jerusalem, 1980s. Acquired by the current owner from the above, 2001. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12878-241678.
Within traditional Mesopotamian religion, Humbaba was a creature regarded as the guardian of the cedar forest and the brother of Pazuzu. He was represented as a giant who had been raised by the sun god, Shamash. However, this head could also refer to another deity or demon, like one of the heads found in the Kish excavations.