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LOT 0232
Mesopotamian Terracotta Foundation Nail for Ningirsu, the Strong Hero of Enlil His King, Gudea
3RD-2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
3 5/8 in. (338 grams, 92 mm).
Conical foundation nail fragment with broad domed top, columns of cuneiform text to the shank:
'dnin-gir -su
ur-saĝ-kal-ga-
den-lil -la
lugal-a-ni
gu -de -a ensi
ŠIR.BUR.LAki-ke
nig -du -e pa mu-na-e
e -ninnu AN.IM.DUGUD-babbar -ra-ni mu-na-du
ki-bi mu-na-gi',
reading: 'Ningirsu, the strong hero of Enlil his king, Gudea, ruler of Lagaš, made ideal values shine and built Eninnu, his white eagle, and restored it'.
Acquired in London in 1995.
European private collection.
Cf. similar item in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.45.90, for type.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0232
Mesopotamian Terracotta Foundation Nail for Ningirsu, the Strong Hero of Enlil His King, Gudea
Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
-
Western Asiatic Gold Pendant with Turquoise
2nd century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
With turquoise cabochon, suspension loop. 0.15 grams, 8 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Western Asiatic Turquoise Blue Glass Bead Necklace String
1st millennium B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £59
Restrung using graduated oblate and other beads, central feature with larger oblate and barrel-shaped beads. 5.6 grams, 46 cm long
UK gallery, early 2000s.
Turquoise has been known since prehistoric times, and it is widely used in jewellery in the Middle East (Egypt and Persia), the Far East (Tibet, Mongolia and China) and even by native North Americans. Turquoise was very fashionable also in Europe, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries. -
Sumerian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet
3000-2000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,200
Rectangular slab with reserved symbols in three columns to one face, reverse plain. 314 grams, 11.9 cm
Ex Oriental Dar Antiques, Jerusalem, 1967. European private collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12094-211937.
