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LOT 1183
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 1/4 in. (70.5 grams, 57 mm).
Pillow-shaped clay tablet with cuneiform text to both broad faces and one edge; chipped, repaired. [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.
Cf. MacGregor, N., A History of the World in 100 Objects, London, 2010 (cat.no.15, pp.90-94).
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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Aramaic Terracotta Magic Bowl with Cursive Script
4th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
An unglazed terracotta trumpet-shaped bowl with the faint remains of Aramaic-script to the inside; accompanied by a smaller bowl with three concentric rings of recently overpainted pseudo Aramaic-script to the upper face. 277 grams total, 9.5-12.4 cm
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Aramaic incantation bowls are particular to the Sassanian period and have been found in regions of modern Iraq. These simple ceramic bowls, also known as magic bowls, each contain an Aramaic inscription, written in ink, which spirals from the centre. The bowls seem to have played an important part in domestic life. For example, during excavation in Nippur in 1889, one or more incantation bowls were found in each house together with domestic artefacts, most often in doorways or under floorboards in the corner of rooms. The bowls are predominantly apotropaic, and the inscriptions tend to protect their owners from misfortunes such as those faced in child-birth, illness and evil spirits. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Bracelet With Ring and Dots
13th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Comprising a penannular body with segmented ring-and-dot design. 55 grams, 62 mm
UK private collection before 2000. On the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. -
Western Asiatic Decorated Bronze Ring Group
Circa 1st millennium A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Comprising five rings with large decorative bezels, three with standing figure, one with a waking sphinx and one with a rosette. 16.5 grams total, 19-23 mm
UK private collection before 2000. On the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.
