Neo-Babylonian Chalcedony Stamp Seal with God Nabu

Pillow-shaped with columnar ribbing to the broad faces, dense cuneiform text in the columns. 57.2 grams, 63 mm



Private collection of Mr K., Maryland, USA. Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in 2000. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12893-241757.

The 2nd millennium B.C. (about 2000–1000 B.C.) was an important period in the ancient Near East, when major civilisations such as the Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites, and Egyptians grew in power and influence. It was a time of progress in trade, government, law, and writing, helping us understand how people lived and worked. Cuneiform tablets, which are small clay tablets written in one of the earliest writing systems, were widely used to record business, legal matters, letters, and stories. When these tablets are found outside their place of origin, it can show connections through trade, travel, or official communication, offering insight into both the ancient world and how such objects later moved through collections.

Carved anatomical detailing on the body, underside with an advancing horse, and a branch above. 2.45 grams, 15 mm



From a late Warwickshire numismatic collector, his collection formed from the early 1980s.

An oval intaglio with an inscription framed by a band of star motifs; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.64 grams, 13 mm



Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Private collection, London.