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LOT 1147
Sumerian Ur-Nammu of Ur Cuneiform Foundation Cone
2112–2094 B.C.
1 7/8 in. (108 grams, 48 mm).
The top section of a foundation cone from the reign of Ur-Nammu, with domed face, the side inscribed with columns of cuneiform text; from the Ziggurat at Ur, in the Third Dynasty. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePreviously from the estate of a West Sussex, UK, collector.
From a collection acquired from various auction houses in the UK.
From the estate of Mr R.W., a private Wiltshire, UK, collector; thence by descent.
Votive cones are one type of royal foundation deposit, objects that were buried in the walls and beneath the floors of important buildings during construction to sanctify the site and to create a historical memory of the ruler and his achievements.
Among Ur-Nammu‘s military exploits were the conquest of Lagash and the defeat of his former masters at Uruk. He was also responsible for ordering the construction of a number of ziggurats, including the Great Ziggurat of Ur. He was killed in a battle against the Gutians after he had been abandoned by his army.
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AUCTIONS:
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Western Asiatic Limestone Mortar
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
With short columnar base and bulbous upper body, broad rim with pouring lip. 4.85 kg, 13 cm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
The later (2nd -3rd century A.D.) Rabbinic tradition emphasised the difference between the permanent mortar (makhtesh kevua) and the movable one (makhtesh metaltelet), with the first being automatically sold with the house, but the second sold only if expressly stated by the vendor. This form of movable mortar was common in the Levant throughout the second half of the 1st millennium B.C. -
Western Asiatic Rock Crystal Melon Bead Group
17th-19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £14
Group of six crystal melon beads. 7.05 grams total, 9-10 mm
From an old English deceased estate. Acquired on the London art market in the early 1990s. Property of a London, UK, collector. -
Gold Ring with Sassanian Dragon Gemstone
7th-10th century A.D. and earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
Substantial ring with D-section hoop, tiered bezel with inset 4th-5th century A.D. carnelian gemstone, intaglio of a gryphon in flight. 15.87 grams, 33.98 mm overall, 18.34 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q 1/2, USA 8 1/4, Europe 18.12, Japan 17)
Acquired from a New York private collection, in the early 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of a previous illustrated catalogue information page.
