Loading, please wait...
LOT 0230
Sumerian Pictographic Tablet
4TH MILLENNIUM B.C.
3 1/2 in. (113 grams, 89 mm).
Of lentoid cross-section with impressed grid and characters or ideograms, an economic text relating to farm produce written over two faces.
ProvenanceSpecialised 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.
The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12093-213020.
Cf. similar example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession no.1988.433.3.
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:
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.
-
Qajar Period Decorated Bowl
19th century A.D.Estimate: £120 - 170 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £60
Spun bronze bowl with everted rim, dense low-relief decoration of tendrils and interlace with quatrefoil panels each with a kneeling figure. 195 grams, 11.9 cm wide
Acquired by the vendor's father on the UK art market, before 1990. -
Sumerian Pictographic Tablet
4th millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,050
Of lentoid cross-section with impressed grid and characters or ideograms, an economic text relating to farm produce written over two faces. 113 grams, 89 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. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12093-213020. -
Fragmentary Jewish Magic Bowl with Aramaic Incantation Against Evil Spirits and Drawing of the Devil
Circa 4th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Broad terracotta bowl with extensive inked inscription and symbols to the inner face; repaired and partly disassembled. 382 grams total, 9-17 cm
From an important family collection, London and Geneva.
Aramaic incantation bowls are particular to the Sassanian period and have been found in regions of modern Iraq. These simple ceramic bowls, also known as magic bowls, each contain an Aramaic inscription, written in ink, which spirals from the centre. The bowls seem to have played an important part in domestic life. For example, during excavation in Nippur in 1889, one or more incantation bowls were found in each house together with domestic artefacts, most often in doorways or under floorboards in the corner of rooms. The bowls are predominantly apotropaic, and the inscriptions tend to protect their owners from misfortunes such as those faced in child-birth, illness and evil spirits.
