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LOT 1442
Syrian Steatite Cylinder Seal
CIRCA 1300 B.C.
3/4 in. (3.36 grams, 18 mm).
A small cylinder seal showing a beast looking back, a winged sun and a flying duck, star and eye motifs as fillers; supplied with a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
Accompanied by a previous typed catalogue slip with collection no.59.
Cf. parallel for the beast in Weber, O., Der Alte Orient, II volumes, Leipzig, 1920, no.50 (from Babylon).
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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Palestinian or Anatolian Brown Stone Stamp Seal with Sphinx
Circa 1200-900 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Comprising a domed body and a large handle, accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Stamp Seal of Brown Stone with Black Patina, 17 x 17.5 x 18 mm. The seal has an oval face, with domed back with superimposed handle, which is nicely shaped. The design shows a recumbent sphynx: body of a quadruped, but human head and wings. Above its back is a bird or fly. This is a seal from Syria / Palestine or Anatolia, c. 1200-900 B.C. It is in fine condition.' 4.61 grams, 18 mm
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Ex property of a West London businessman. Academically researched and catalogued by the late Professor Lambert in the early 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly report, numbered 1607, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert. -
Large Western Asiatic Silver Ring with Calligraphic Inscription
Circa 18th-19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
The hoop with three raised bosses, a tall discoid bezel with a two-line inscription. 15.89 grams, 31.02 mm overall, 18.02 x 19.06 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Mesopotamian Steatite Bowl with Animals and Palm Trees
3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £10,400
Drum-shaped steatite vessel with broad flat rim; low-relief frieze to the outer face: dense vegetation panels with hatched treetrunks and fronds, resting quadrupeds, each with the legs folded beneath the body. 5.3 kg, 24.5 cm wide
Acquired by a Swiss family in the mid-1980s to late 1990s, thence by descent. Private collection, Switzerland, since the late 1990s. 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.13026-246787.
In Mesopotamia ancient stone-carvers produced a variety of vessels from soft soapstone (steatite) and pale yellow alabaster, along with jewellery. They include cylindrical boxes, cups, high open-rim vases and a few globular jars. Among it the most prominent products were the cups with tall, slender stalks, apparently intended for religious purposes. The repertoire of motifs of the ‘Intercultural Style’ includes vegetal, architectural, and abstract or naturalistic representations of people and animals, depicted in a carved and inlaid technique.
