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LOT 1140
Mesopotamian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 in. (41.5 grams, 49 mm).
A bifacial pillow-shaped tablet with cuneiform text to both faces; repaired from two fragments. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom specialised collection of cuneiform texts, formed in the 1950s-1990s.
The property of a London gentleman and housed in London, 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 1990s.
The 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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Luristan Bronze Animal
13th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Cast bronze model of a calf with splayed horns. 11 grams, 33 mm wide
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Central Asian Bronze Blade
12th-8th century B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
With elongated handle, hole for fixing organic material, guard with lateral projections and ogival blade with shallow central mid-rib. 154 grams, 27.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Achaemenid Heavy Gold Earring Pair
Circa 6th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,500
A matched pair of large earrings decorated with pomegranates on the outer edge, the crescentic body divided in transversal grooves representing the abdomen of a bee, with granulation on the inner and outer edge, a horizontal gold wire with circlets to the centre. 23.78 grams total, 38 mm each
From a private family collection formed since the early 19th century, thence by descent. Property of a New Zealand legal professional. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12326-223715.
Fruit were generally considered to be a symbol of sensuality, temptation and fertility; the giving and accepting of fruit may be regarded as a symbolic sexual act, or at least a prelude to marriage. It follows naturally that the pomegranate, with its innumerable fleshy seeds symbolising life and fecundity, was an attribute of Aphrodite.