Persian Painting Depicting Nader Shah Slaying Deve

Standing upright with an elongated body, four short legs with the pairs of legs connected by a horizontal bar; small bosses decorating the body; suspension loop to the back. 24.2 grams, 41 mm



Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a previous catalogue information card.

Such a figurine might have been worn as part of a necklace or bracelet for decorative purposes. Due to the tribal and sometimes nomadic nature of many of these populations, many Luristan bronzes were not of great size. Statuettes of local fauna have been largely recovered from Luristan burials.

With conical body, the inner face bearing the remains of concentric rings of inked magical Aramaic text, cracked. 393 grams, 16 cm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

Aramaic incantation bowls are particular to the Sassanian period and have been found in regions of modern Iraq. These simple ceramic bowls, also known as 'magic bowls': each contains an Aramaic inscription, written in ink, which spirals from the centre. The bowls seem to have played an important part in domestic life. For example, during excavation in Nippur in 1889, one or more incantation bowls were found in each house together with domestic artefacts, most often in doorways or under floorboards in the corner of rooms. The bowls are predominantly apotropaic, and the inscriptions tend to protect their owners from misfortunes such as those faced in childbirth, from illness and from evil spirits.

Tapering body with carinated top and biconvex head, incised herringbone pattern at the top of the shank to prevent slippage. 28 grams, 95 mm



Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s. Ex Den of Antiquity, Cambridgeshire, UK. Accompanied by a dealer's catalogue information card.