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LOT 0046
Sasanian Carnelian Gemstone of an Ibex with Inscription
5TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
3/8 in. (0.42 grams, 11 mm).
Discoid in plan with incuse ibex with the legs folded beneath the body; text in the field; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenancePrivate English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s.
Private collection, London, UK.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0046
Sasanian Carnelian Gemstone of an Ibex with Inscription
Estimate £500 - 700€580 - 810 (for guidance only)$680 - 950 (for guidance only)
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Bactrian Lapis Lazuli Bead Necklace with Later Gold Foil
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
Restrung group of tubular lapis lazuli beads, each with a sheet-gold sleeve; modern clasp. 22 grams, 61 cm
Acquired on the London art market. Private collection, UK. -
Neo-Babylonian Chalcedony Stamp Seal with Horned Ibex
6th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £222
Tongue-shaped in profile with incuse image of an advancing ram beneath a crescent moon, arrow in the field. 4.40 grams, 18.46 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
The ibex, a wild mountain goat with distinctive curved horns, was a popular and meaningful motif in ancient Near Eastern art. It often appears in Mesopotamian and Persian imagery, where it could symbolise strength, agility, and a connection to the natural and divine worlds. In some contexts, the ibex is linked with fertility and abundance, particularly through its association with flowing water and vegetation. Its elegant form also made it well suited to small-scale objects such as seals, where its image could serve both a decorative and symbolic purpose, reflecting the beliefs and environment of the cultures that produced them. -
Mesopotamian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Pillowform with columns of cuneiform text on both sides. 97 grams, 76 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.
