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Details
LOT 0263
Mesopotamian Heavy Silver Bead Necklace
3RD-EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
22 in. (224 grams, 56 cm).
Restrung and comprising mainly spherical, elongated ovals, oblates, and biconical shapes; accompanied by a custom-made lined display box.
Provenance
Numismatic and Ancient Art Gallery AG, Ancient Art of the Mediterranean World, No 8, no.5, c.1982.
Taisei Gallery, Gold & Silver Auction, Part II, Ancient to Renaissance, 5 November 1992, The Conrad Salon, The Waldorf-Astoria, New York, no.39.
Private collection, London.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13265-253358.
Literature
Cf. Bass, G.F. ‘A Hoard of Trojan and Sumerian Jewelry’ in Aja, no.70, 1974, pp.335-341, for similar metal beads. Pl.85, fig.24-25.
Footnotes
The Sumerian word for silver is kú-babbar, which means ‘white metal’. Silver was mined from ores that contained significant amounts of other metals and impurities and therefore requires a great deal of further processing before it can be used. It was considered sacred and immutable, and an extremely high-status material, used for royal jewellery.
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LOT 0263
Mesopotamian Heavy Silver Bead Necklace
Estimate £5,000 - 7,000€5,800 - 8,120 (for guidance only)$6,750 - 9,450 (for guidance only)
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