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LOT 0211
Sumerian Clay School Tablet
3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.
3 1/8 in. (183 grams, 81 mm wide).
Plano-convex in form with cuneiform text to both faces.
ProvenanceFrom an important collection formed before 1988.
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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Neo-Assyrian Bronze Two-Piece Belt Buckle with Winged Genii
9th-7th century B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Comprising two halves decorated in chased low relief, each half with a standing winged figure dressed in long embroidered tunic, holding a stylised snake(?) in the raised hand, the other hand extended along the wing; the left side with three attachment hooks and the right side with a perforated plaque with two lines of holes providing the possibility of extending the belt. 191 grams total, 80 mm each
Nice bronze patina with small scratches on the surface, antique deformations
Acquired prior to 2000. British private collection of Mr D.M., London, UK. 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.11753-202365.
The genii symbolised both protection and fertility - their role was to safeguard and replenish the ancient kingdom of Assyria and therefore, on a personal buckle, the wearer of the belt. The representation of divine genii upon a belt plaque provided a link with the king and with the royal family, and it could be that such a belt was worn by important dignitaries, although the structure of the belt and its composition exclude the possibility of military use. -
Achaemenid Gold Penannular Hair Ring
Circa 5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £494
Composed of a hollow D-section body, decorative vertical grooves around the outer face. 4.83 grams, 32 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
In Achaemenid graves, it is possible to determine if the jewellery contained within belonged to an adult female or a child by its size. The jewellery of the adult women included a wreath, as well as three pairs of boat-shaped earrings, two necklaces, two pendants, four finger rings, and a set of dress ornaments. Children's jewellery pieces usually consisted of only three pairs of earrings and a necklace. -
Mesopotamian Clay Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
Circa 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Bearing text to one face; the tablet roughly semi-circular in plan with a plano-convex cross-section. 48.9 grams, 43 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.
