Loading, please wait...
LOT 0237
Old Babylonian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet, an Administrative Document
CIRCA 2000-1700 B.C.
4 7/8 in. (247 grams, 12.5 cm).
Pillow-shaped with lines of dense cuneiform text to flat faces, edges and ends; accompanied by an old handwritten slip: 'Old Babylonian administration document, c.2000-1700 B.C.'.
ProvenancePrivate collection, 1980s.
Acquired on the UK art market.
Private collection, London, UK.
Accompanied by an old handwritten note by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993.
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0237
Old Babylonian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet, an Administrative Document
Estimate £800 - 1,000€930 - 1,160 (for guidance only)$1,080 - 1,350 (for guidance only)
-
Neo-Babylonian Chalcedony Stamp Seal with Horned Ibex
6th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Tongue-shaped in profile with incuse image of an advancing ram beneath a crescent moon, arrow in the field. 4.40 grams, 18.46 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
The ibex, a wild mountain goat with distinctive curved horns, was a popular and meaningful motif in ancient Near Eastern art. It often appears in Mesopotamian and Persian imagery, where it could symbolise strength, agility, and a connection to the natural and divine worlds. In some contexts, the ibex is linked with fertility and abundance, particularly through its association with flowing water and vegetation. Its elegant form also made it well suited to small-scale objects such as seals, where its image could serve both a decorative and symbolic purpose, reflecting the beliefs and environment of the cultures that produced them. -
Western Asiatic Terracotta Handled Jar
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Biconical in profile with stub feet, broad shoulder with pierced lugs, low rim to the mouth. 270 grams, 12.3 cm
From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Sasanian Garnet Gemstone with Device and Pahlavi Inscription
Circa 4th-5th century AD.Estimate: £150 - 200 (+bp*)
Bids: 1 | Current Bid: £5
Plano-convex in profile with a legend of Pahlavi inscription enclosing a stylised geometric device. 1.29 grams, 14 mm
From a privately held London, UK, collection from the late 1990s.
