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LOT 1315
Sassanian Haematite Seal
4TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
5/8 in. (8 grams, 17 mm).
Plano-convex stamp seal with design of two scorpions placed tête-bêche; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenanceAcquired in Europe in 1997.
European private collection.
Cf. similar item in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.41.160.247, for type.
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:
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LOT 1315
Sassanian Haematite Seal
Estimate £200 - 300€230 - 350 (for guidance only)$270 - 410 (for guidance only)
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Late Achaemenid Silver Bracelet
Circa 4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Comprising a round-section penannular body with finely-modelled beast-head terminals, each with a pellet eye and scrolled nostrils. 78 grams, 75 mm
From the property of the late Mr SM, London, UK, 1969-1999. Accompanied by a previous catalogue information slip. -
Neo Babylonian Agate Duck Weight with Engraving
Mid 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Modelled as a duck with its head resting along its voluminous back, base engraved with a crescent, dots, lines and triangles. 11.8 grams, 28 mm
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There are references to keeping ducks in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia from the third millennium B.C. onwards. One of the most common shapes for Near Eastern weights was 'the sleeping duck'. Representation demonstrates that the duck served chiefly as a meat source, even though a certain cultic significance must also be presumed: the crescent here engraved could be connected with the cult of Ishtar. -
Sumerian Cuneiform Tablet Group with Legal Texts
Late 3rd-early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Comprising two pillow-shaped clay tablets comprising: one in dark brown material, cuneiform text to both broad faces and one edge, polished surface, end of the third millennium but with an Akkadian administrative text; one in tan-coloured material, cuneiform text to both broad faces and three edges, a legal text from the beginning of the second millennium. 90 grams total, 45-51 mm
Acquired in the 1970s. European private collection.
