Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 1163

Sumerian Bone Cylinder Seal

2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.

1 in. (4.42 grams, 24 mm).

With frieze in two registers depicting running animals, facing figure with arms raised and other items; supplied with a museum-quality impression.

Provenance

Ex 'S' collection, London, UK.
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 lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

CONDITION

VETTING:

TimeLine 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 1163

Sumerian Bone Cylinder Seal

Sold for (Inc. bp): £312

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Babylonian Head of Humbaba
    Babylonian Head of Humbaba
    900-700 B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380

    Modelled in the half-round with hollow reverse; thick band of hair above the brow, small deep-set eyes, broad nose and mouth with three raised bands extending to a short beard; mounted on a custom-made stand. 128 grams total, 11.5 cm including stand



    London art market, 1995. Private collection, Switzerland. Private collection, London. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12971-245208.

    Humbaba (or Huwawa) was a demon of Mesopotamian legend, most famously described in the Epic of Gilgamesh. He was appointed by the god Enlil as the terrifying guardian of the Cedar Forest, a place of the gods. His grotesque features, with glaring eyes and monstrous expressions, were said to strike fear into anyone who saw him. Babylonian representations of Humbaba often emphasise this fierce appearance, with distorted facial traits designed to ward off evil. Such images could serve an apotropaic purpose, protecting people and places from harm, while also evoking one of the most memorable figures of Babylonian mythology.

    Lot Details

  • Parthian Lead-Glazed Amphora
    Parthian Lead-Glazed Amphora
    1st-3rd century A.D.

    Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £125

    Barrel-shaped in profile with basal ring, short neck with rolled rim and two lateral strap handles. 1.5 kg, 28.5 cm



    Ex West London, UK, collection, 1990s. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

    Lot Details

  • Western Asiatic Lapis Lazuli Cylinder Seal
    Western Asiatic Lapis Lazuli Cylinder Seal
    3rd-2nd millennium B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £130

    With incuse design of concentric lozenges and median line. 1.93 grams, 18 mm



    Acquired in the 1980s-2000s. From an important London, UK, collection.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list