Mitanni Hematite Cylinder Seal

Group of portrait miniatures on glass discs including two males in military uniform, a close-up female face, female bust in three-quarter view, Iranian royal badge of an advancing lion wielding a sword with the rising sun on its back, and cinquefoil with lion-and-sun motif to the centre; mounted in a glazed wooden frame with gilt edging. 3 kg total, 50.5 x 49 cm



Private collection, London, UK. 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.

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 soft Black Stone, 18 x 18 mm. The art shows a row of three horned animals, each distinct from the other two by its horns. Over the backs of two there is a ladder motif. This is a seal of the Jemdet Nasr period, c. 3000 B.C., from Mesopotamia or south-west Iran. The bodies of the animals are carefully modelled and the whole work is deeply engraved so that in the impression the animals stand out in deep relief. Of its kind this is a good example, in fine state of preservation. The ideology behind this scene comes from temple herds, because ordinary people rarely owned the larger domesticated animals, but normally sheep and goats. Thus cattle and other horned quadrupeds which were being domesticated at this time were the prized possession of the community. The ladder pattern is probably a stylized form of an ear of barley, which occurs (disproportionately large) behind the animal in some more detailed seal of this period.'; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 10.77 grams, 17 mm



From the private collection of a North American lady, formed 1970s-early 1990s, with collection reference no.119-2. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert dated December 1991. 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.

A hollow-formed ceramic vessel formed as a standing zebu with large hump, ridged tail, pectoral ridge and horns; the head forming the U-channel spout. 601 grams, 25 cm



European private collection, 1983. Ex Anavian Gallery, New York. Private collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00019651. Accompanied by a copy of a thermoluminescence analysis report, dated 22 November 1990. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12702-235146. 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.