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LOT 1245
Mitanni Faience Cylinder Seal with Worship Scenes
CIRCA 1500-1200 B.C.
1 1/4 in. (6.51 grams, 30 mm).
Accompanied by a copy of an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: ' Cylinder Seal of Faience with Turquoise Glaze 30.5 x 14.5 mm. The design consists of a stylized sacred tree and either side of it a standing stag with rump next to the tree, but head turned back. The end of the scene is marked by a simple guilloche in vertical position. The design is framed by a line above and another beneath. This seal is Mitanni, c. 1500-1200 B.C., and from anywhere between Syria and Western Kurdistan. It is a product of the Hurrian civilisation of the area, and the stylized tree is a symbol of the storm god, Hurrian Teshub, Babylonian Adad, Hebrew Hadad or Baal. The tree has a central trunk terminating in a bud, and three branches off each side similarly terminating in buds.The stags occur commonly on Mitanni seals, but while they may well be symbolic, it is not known of what they may be the symbol. The guilloche is a standard decorative filler of the period. Faience is a manufactured substance, comparable to the modern porcelain. In the ground it often deteriorates over the centuries and has a powdery surface. This one, however, is in exceptionally fine condition, the only mark of its age being that the glaze has lost something of its original colour. In this excellent condition, such seals are rare.'; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a North American lady, formed 1970s-early 1990s, with collection reference no.P30.
Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert dated September 1990.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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Western Asiatic Stone Macehead
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Piriform with vertical socket expanding towards the narrower end. 517 grams, 91 mm
From a West London, UK, collection, 1980-1990s. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Western Asiatic Stone Macehead
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Spherical and drilled vertically to accommodate a wooden shaft. 206 grams, 53 mm
From a West London, UK, collection, 1980-1990s. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Levantine Black Stone Cylinder Seal
Circa 1200-1000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Cylinder with cord and bead handles; accompanied by a copy of an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Description of Cylinder Seal of soft, black stone, 29 x 18 mm. A scene is contained within upper and lower rules and a ladder pattern repeated at left and right. The main figure is a standing deity holding up items in each raised hand. he wears a pointed cap and might be meant as Hadad/Teshub/Baal, the storm god, but the symbols held are not sufficiently clear to be certain. In front of him is a small figure of human form, and three horned quadrupeds; behind him is a bird, a fish(?) and a scorpion. Vacant spaces are filled with dots, and linear devices. The seal is a typical "Levantine" cylinder c. 1200-1000 B.C. from Syria or Anatolia. it is cut with a hand-held pointed graving tool and the drill. Though worn, the design is completely clear.'; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 9.72 grams, 28 mm
UK private collection, acquired 1980-1983. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert in October 1987. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
