Loading, please wait...
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.
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:
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 0048
Sasanian Carnelian Gemstone of a Fantastic Creature with Pahlavi Legend
Sold for (Inc. bp): £494
-
Anatolian Gold Ring-Shaped Idol
4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,404
Sheet gold ring with repoussé annulet and band of pellets, T-shaped suspension. 2.79 grams, 35 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12424-226930. -
Western Asiatic Stone Cylinder Seal Group
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Comprising: frieze of a standing figure with rearing animals; winged beast facing a figure with pelletted headdress holding the hind leg of an ibex; figure with a staff facing towards a fleeing ibex, gryphon to his rear; row of running ibexes; each supplied with a museum-quality impression. 12.9 grams total, 12.3-21.08 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Western Asiatic Cone-Shaped Stamp Seal
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
Conical in section with suspension hole and pointillé texture; underside with stylised human figure. 7.32 grams, 37.26 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
