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LOT 1118
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 1/2 in. (123 grams, 63 mm).
Pillow-shaped clay tablet with cuneiform text to both broad faces and one edge; 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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Bactrian Ritual Stone Idol
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Round-section columnar bar with tapering ends, pecked texturing. 4.6 kg, 46 cm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. -
Mitannian Cylinder Seal with Hero Scene
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,420
Haematite with a robed figure with beard and cap facing a robed female(?) with hands raised, rosette between their faces and rings below; a tall winged figure grasping an ibex by the rear legs and a small human by one arm, above an advancing lion; a facing hero grasping the forelegs of a griffin with a kneeling figure between and winged solar disc above, chipped. 14.1 grams, 26 mm
From the Rihani family collection, formed 1970-1980s. From a collection acquired from various auction houses in the UK. From the estate of Mr R.W., a private Wiltshire, UK, collector; thence by descent. -
Sassanian Carnelian Stamp Seal
3rd-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Composed of a small plano-convex body engraved with a ritualistic figure or symbol to the base; drilled for suspension. 1.19 grams, 10 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s.
According to some scholars, these seals originated as brands for cattle and contain elaborated hereditary notes. According to others they could represent monograms or Neshan (rank badges) or rank insignia. The crescent can be also associated with Zoroastrian shrines.