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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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Western Asiatic Polished Bronze Bowl
Late 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Shallow body with a rounded base and thickened rim. 350 grams, 16.5 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s. -
Western Asiatic Orange Carnelian Cylinder Seal with Hunting Scene
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
Frieze of a hunting scene with an advancing figure with a tall headdress trampling a running gryphon and drawing a bow and arrow towards a fleeing gryphon with its head turned towards him; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 5.33 grams, 24.2 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Assyrian Double-Faced Pendant Depicting Pazuzu, King of Wind Demons
8th-6th century B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Carved in the round with flared base, addorsed faces of the demon with suspension lug above. 50.24 grams, 44 mm
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK.
The figure described as the 'King of Wind Demons' is commonly identified with Pazuzu, a well-known demon in Assyrian and Babylonian tradition. Despite his fearsome appearance, often shown with a canine face, bulging eyes, a scaly body, and wings, Pazuzu was not simply a malevolent force. He was understood as the ruler of the winds, particularly the hot, destructive winds from the desert, but was also invoked for protection. Most notably, Pazuzu was believed to ward off the demon Lamashtu, who threatened pregnant women and infants. Small amulets and pendants bearing his image were therefore worn or placed in domestic spaces as protective devices. Objects such as this pendant belong to that world of everyday belief, where the boundary between danger and protection was fluid, and where even a demon could serve an apotropaic role.
