Loading, please wait...
LOT 0187
Proto-Sumerian Terracotta Pictographic Tablet
3RD DYNASTY OF UR, CIRCA 2036 B.C.
1 1/2 in. (27.6 grams, 40 mm).
Pillow-shaped tablet with columns of pictograms to two broad faces and one edge.
ProvenanceEx De Groot collection, Belgium, acquired in the 1930s.
with Bonhams, London, 13 April 2011, no.137.
Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12118-218148.
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 0187
Proto-Sumerian Terracotta Pictographic Tablet
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000€2,320 - 3,480 (for guidance only)$2,700 - 4,050 (for guidance only)
-
.jpg)
Akkadian Cylinder Seal with Water-God Enki
23rd-22nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,105
Mottled chalcedony with judgement scene; the water-god Enki seated confronts a human flanked by robed and bearded supporters, two columns of cuneiform text, chipped. 4.55 grams, 20 mm
Ex Cohen Antiques, London W8. From the M. Cloake collection, acquired in 1977. From a collection acquired from various auction houses in the UK. From the estate of Mr R.W., a private Wiltshire, UK, collector; thence by descent. -
Western Asiatic Gold Earring Pair
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
Matched pair each with a split wire hoop, cell with beaded wire bands, hollow-formed biconvex finial. 3.18 grams, 20.5-21.8 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Sumerian Lipit-Ishtar King of Isin Cuneiform Foundation Cone
1936-1926 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
From the House of Justice at Isin; inscribed with columns of cuneiform text: I, (the divine) Lipit-Eštar, humble shepherd of (the city of) Nippur, faithful farmer of (the city of) Ur, tireless worker for (the city of) Eridu, perfect Lord for (the city of) Uruk, King of (the city of) Isin, King of Sumer and Akkad, who pleases (the goddess) Innana, on the day I established justice in Sumer and Akkad, I built the temple of justice at the Reservoir, the great space of the gods; and bearing inked collection number: 'BEC.2 00015024' to base. 158 grams, 11.3 cm
Previously from the estate of a West Sussex, UK, collector. From a collection acquired from various auction houses in the UK. From the estate of Mr R.W., a private Wiltshire, UK, collector; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12314-215541.
Votive cones are one type of royal foundation deposit, objects that were buried in the walls and beneath the floors of important buildings during construction to sanctify the site and to create a historical memory of the ruler and his achievements. Lipit-Ishtar was the fifth king of the Dynasty of Isin, which was founded after the collapse of the Third Dynasty of Ur. He is famous as having published a series of laws in the Sumerian language anticipating the code of Hammurabi by more than a century.
