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LOT 0239
Old Babylonian Cuneiform Letter Tablet
CIRCA 20TH-18TH CENTURY B.C.
2 1/2 in. (101 grams, 64 mm).
Pillow-shaped clay tablet with cuneiform text to both broad faces and one edge; chipped.
ProvenanceSpecialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992.
Thence by descent to family members.
Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.
Cf. MacGregor, N., A History of the World in 100 Objects, London, 2010 (cat.no.15, pp.90-94).
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Mesopotamian Cylinder Seal with Hunting Scene
Circa 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £125
With intaglio hunting scene depicting dense vegetation and a huntsman; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 5.47 grams, 23 mm
From an important Mayfair collection, 1970-1999; thence by descent. Accompanied by a previous catalogue information slip. -
Western Asiatic Graduated Gold Bead Set
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £125
Mixed group of granulated beads with different sized holes. 3.25 grams total, 5-10 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Sumerian Terracotta 'Bulla Envelope' with Impressed Decoration
Uruk Period, circa 5500-3100 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
Complete and of spherical form, containing clay 'tokens'; the outer face impressed with enigmatic motifs. 105 grams, 66 mm
Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1988. Thence by descent to family members. Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. Accompanied by a copy of two previous illustrated and typed catalogue pages.
The tokens sealed within the bulla are believed to have been used as part of the accounting process in Sumerian or early Uruk agriculture.
