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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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LOT 0232
Mesopotamian Terracotta Foundation Nail for Ningirsu, the Strong Hero of Enlil His King, Gudea
Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
-
Old Babylonian Carnelian Frog Amulet on Gold Earring
20th-16th century B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £556
The frog modelled in the round, pierced at the middle and mounted on an asymmetrical gold hoop, possibly a marriage. 2.45 grams, 29.30 mm
Ex K.J. collection. Acquired on the North American art market, 1999. European private collection. -
Western Asiatic Terracotta Jar
Iron Age, 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
With biconical profile, narrow base, broad mouth with flared rim; bands of painted hatched leaf motifs to shoulder, horizontal lines above; small hole to shoulder. 1 kg, 18.5 cm high
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Very Large Western Asiatic Stone Stamp Seal
Circa 3000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Of square shape, striated lines and locating holes on the surface; the reverse with a domed, pierced plaque. 100 grams, 51 mm
Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.
Such seals can be associated with distinct communities during the Bronze Age, particularly those engaged in trade with the Indus Valley. In particular, they are associated with the presence of Mesopotamians on the Iranian plateau and the emergent elite of the Early Dynastic city-states.
