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LOT 0228
Sumerian Terracotta 'Bulla Envelope' with Impressed Decoration
URUK PERIOD, CIRCA 5500-3100 B.C.
2 5/8 in. (105 grams, 66 mm).
Complete and of spherical form, containing clay 'tokens'; the outer face impressed with enigmatic motifs.
ProvenanceSpecialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1988.
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.
Accompanied by a copy of two previous illustrated and typed catalogue pages.
Cf. The Oriental Institute Museum, Woods, C. ed., Visible Language: Inventions of Writing in the Ancient Middle East and Beyond, University of Chicago, 2010, p.68, for this type of object and the whole article for relevant discussion.
FootnotesThe tokens sealed within the bulla are believed to have been used as part of the accounting process in Sumerian or early Uruk agriculture.
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 0228
Sumerian Terracotta 'Bulla Envelope' with Impressed Decoration
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
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Timurid Engraved Iron Bowl
Circa 14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
With rivetted sidewall and base, incised herringbone hatching, four roundels each with rosette to the centre and inscribed arch; repaired. 636 grams, 19.5 cm
Fair condition, with later repair.
Formerly acquired in the 1980s. From the family collection of a Hampstead gentleman. -
Early Parthian Faience Face Cup
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
Formed as a small circular vessel, the frontal part shaped as a female face, with well-defined nose, eyes and mouth, long hair on the sides framing the face, traces of colour still present on the upper edge. 71 grams, 60 mm
Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.
Faience objects have been discovered in great numbers at various Middle Assyrian and later sites, including the capitals, provincial and administrative centres as well as small settlements. Functionally, the faience objects can be assigned to a variety of categories, among which vessels, fragments thereof, and jewellery are the most numerous. The vessels are predominantly open-shaped, such as bowls and cups, but miniature bottles, beakers and other types of vessels were also found. Our small cup was probably intended for female toilette usage. -
Western Asiatic Gold Pendant with Banded Agate Bead
8th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Comprising a barrel-shaped banded agate bead suspended vertically with a loop and collar above; a gold fusiform pendant below. 1.05 grams, 23 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s.
The pendant structure shows affinities with three beads of a necklace from Kition (MLA 1742/34, 6, 7) made of high carat gold-alloy, and obtained by joining two hemispheres, each one embossed out of thick plate. The upper hemisphere is pierced at the top, where a small round suspension loop is inserted and fused.
