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LOT 0201
Western Asiatic Basalt Tablet with Cuneiform Inscription
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
12 3/4 in. (7.85 kg, 32.6 cm).
Architectural fragment with rectangular band to one edge, carved decorative detailing with inscription.
ProvenancePrivate collection, Europe, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1980s.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12521-231989.
See similar inscriptions in basalt in Lauinger, J., Batiuk S., ‘A stele of Sargon II at Tell Tayinat’ in Zeitschrift für Assyriologie, 2015; 105(1), pp.54-68.
FootnotesAmid the many architectural, sculptural, and textual riches of Assyria and Mesopotamia, the broken pieces of basalt bearing fragmentary cuneiform inscriptions have received little attention, but are of fundamental importance. Despite being quite fragmentary, these broken pieces of basalt are the remains of an important witness to the Assyrian imperial presence in the Near East.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0201
Western Asiatic Basalt Tablet with Cuneiform Inscription
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000€2,320 - 3,480 (for guidance only)$2,700 - 4,050 (for guidance only)
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Western Asiatic Stone Stamp Seal with Inscription
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Pierced tapering handle to reverse, billeted border enclosing profile standing bull and legend in Indus Valley script. 21.1 grams, 28 mm
From the London collection of the late Mr S.M., 1969-1999. -
Large West Central Asian Bronze Cross of Squares Seal Matrix
Circa 2300-2000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
An openwork seal, 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 Bronze, 35 x 34 x 10 mm. This is square, with flat face and flat back, on which was mounted a suspension loop, of which only one end now remains. The design is open-work and consists of a central square divided by a simple cross into four smaller squares, and the spaces between this inner and an outer square are divided into L-shapes at each corner and oblongs between them. This comes from west central Asia and dates to c. 2300-2000 B.C.It is in good condition save for the mostly lost handle.' 18.5 grams, 35 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 U-391, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert. -
Old Babylonian Cuneiform Tablet with Legal Text
Circa 2000-1900 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,210
The majority of a pillow-shaped tablet with impressed cuneiform text on three sides and a cylinder seal impression on the short face. 214 grams, 76 mm
Private collection, 1980s. UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK. Academically researched and catalogued by the late Professor Lambert. Accompanied by an original handwritten slip written by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert.
