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LOT 1298
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet
EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 1/4 in. (66 grams, 56 mm).
Pillow-shaped in form with cuneiform text in dense rows to both faces and one edge; partly 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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Mesopotamian Terracotta Pouring Vessel
3rd millennium B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Formed as a pouring vessel with carinated body and short cylindrical spout, neck decorated with three concentric bands of pricked dots, incised bands below, combed chevrons to the equator featuring three raised knops to the rear. 438 grams, 11.8 cm wide
Acquired in Europe before 1990. -
Western Asiatic Marble Cylinder Seal with Worship Scene
Late 3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Bearing a worship scene composed of a procession of robed human figures advancing left, towards a seated figure; pierced vertically for suspension. 34.6 grams, 36 mm
Fine condition.
Private family collection formed in London, mid 1980s to early 1990s. -
Very Large Western Asiatic Stone Stamp Seal
Circa 3000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Of square shape, striated lines and locating holes on the surface; the reverse with a domed, pierced plaque. 100 grams, 51 mm
Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.
Such seals can be associated with distinct communities during the Bronze Age, particularly those engaged in trade with the Indus Valley. In particular, they are associated with the presence of Mesopotamians on the Iranian plateau and the emergent elite of the Early Dynastic city-states.