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LOT 1205
Phoenician Silver Inscribed Seal Matrix
CIRCA 8TH-5TH CENTURY B.C.
5/8 in. (6.4 grams, 16 mm).
With inscription in Phoenician script [mem 'alep sin nun ayin nun samek = water, ox head, teeth, fish, eye, fish, tower].
ProvenanceFrom an important collection formed before 1988, London and Geneva.
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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Seljuk Standing Stone Lion
12th-13th century A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £90
Modelled in the round, front and back paws formed as a one block, pierced lug to the back. 57.5 grams, 57 mm
with a London, UK gallery, 1971-early 2000s.
The lion was one of the most widely used symbols in Seljuk culture. They frequently used the word aslan, meaning lion, in the names of their Sultans and statesmen, such as Alparslan, "brave lion," Aslanshah, "lion king," and Aslandogmus, "lion born." Four of the Seljuk Sultans were named Kilicarslan, which combines the words for a sword and lion, and the interest in lions is clearly reflected in the art and architecture of the Seljuk period. Lion-head water spouts are to be found at a number of caravanserais, and lion statues guarded the portals to the city of Cardak Han in Anatolia, as well as carved onto the walls of the palace at Incir Han. The lion is also to be found on the coins of Sultan Giyaseddin II. -
Mitanni Glazed Composition Cylinder Seal with Quadrupeds
Circa 1420-1300 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
With frieze of antelopes and a tree. 1.78 grams, 22 mm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector; collection no.021. London collection, 2016. -
Proto-Sumerian Stone Stamp Seal with Two Animals
Circa 3000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Plano-convex stamp seal with design of two crouching quadrupeds placed tête-bêche. 17 grams, 30 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
The motifs have been created using a drill, hence the rounded appearance.