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LOT 0048
Sasanian Carnelian Gemstone of a Fantastic Creature with Pahlavi Legend
4TH-5TH CENTURY A.D.
3/8 in. (0.32 grams, 10 mm).
Plano-convex in section with advancing winged and horned beast, Pahlavi legend to the border; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenancePrivate English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s.
Private collection, London, UK.
Fanciful combinations of various human and animal heads, sometimes with the addition of other elements, are generally called grylloi. These fantastic devices were more than mere artists' fancies and were worn by the ancient Romans and others for their supposed efficacy in averting the evil eye.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0048
Sasanian Carnelian Gemstone of a Fantastic Creature with Pahlavi Legend
Sold for (Inc. bp): £494
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Mesopotamian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
A large fragment of a pillow-shaped tablet with dense columns of cuneiform text on two sides. 105 grams, 71 mm
Specialised 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. This small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. -
West Central Asian Bronze Stamp Seal with Cross
Bronze Age, circa 2300-2000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
Discoid in plan with voided spandrels, loop to reverse. 8.59 grams, 29.59 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Western Asiatic Glazed Terracotta Fertility Figure
Late 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £120 - 170 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £67
Modelled in the half-round; D-shaped in section with applied black pigment detailing to hair and midriff; some iridescence. 23.2 grams, 92 mm
Ex private collection, London, UK, 1969-1999.
