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LOT 0225
Sumerian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet
3000-2000 B.C.
4 5/8 in. (314 grams, 11.9 cm).
Rectangular slab with reserved symbols in three columns to one face, reverse plain.
ProvenanceEx Oriental Dar Antiques, Jerusalem, 1967.
European private collection.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12094-211937.
Cf. similar item in the British Museum, London, under accession no.85274, 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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Western Asiatic Bronze Spindle Whorl on Distaff
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Distaff with spiral slot to the thicker end, separate domed whorl and tapering shank. 60 grams, 32 cm
Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.
Spindle whorls are one of the most durable traces of textile craft in the archaeological record. They can be found in copious quantities and diverse types. Whorls in the shape of discs, cylinders and cones of clay, bone, stone and other more precious materials are widespread in all areas and periods, evidencing the skills of craftswomen engaged in textile production. -
Western Asiatic Mixed Bead Necklace String
1st millennium B.C. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £20
Graduated group of mainly oblate glass beads with and a recent Indian barrel-shaped glass bead with etched white lattice as a centrepiece. 34 grams, 38 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
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
Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.
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.
