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LOT 0996
Mesopotamian Shell Beads
3RD-2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
24 3/8 in. (123 grams, 62 cm long).
A restrung group of discoid shell beads. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1980s-1990s.
H.N. collection, Milton Keynes, UK.
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AUCTIONS:
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Luristan Decorated Pin Pair
13th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
A pair of decorated pins composed of tapering round-section stems with decoratively twisted head and conical finial, pierced body, incised hatched triangles below. 105 grams total, 18.7-19 cm
UK private collection before 2000. UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. -
Sumerian Cup with Animal Frieze
Early Dynastic Period, 2900-2560 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
A truncated conical gypsum ritual drinking cup with rounded rim and discoid foot, displaying a frieze of mythological animals in relief to the exterior, including a lion-headed eagle with its wings spread, and an iconic Mesopotamian religious scene composed of a deity wearing a horned cup, flanked by a bull and goat; repaired. 27.9 grams, 46 mm wide
Acquired 1969-1999. London collection of the late Mr S.M., thence by descent. Accompanied by a previous typed cataloguing sheet.
In many ancient Mediterranean cultures, such vessels were symbols of wealth and status, or ritual objects associated with cult activities. Lion-headed eagles were associated with the god of Imdugud or Anzu, a divine bird and the personification of wind, thunder and cloud; this cup may have been used as a dedication to the god. -
Western Asiatic Terracotta Pot with Ibexes
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
A terracotta jar with everted rim, painted with a frieze of ibexes between plain bands and arcading. 134 grams, 59 mm high
Acquired before 2000. Property of a London, UK, gentleman. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.