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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)
Opening Bid
£1,000 (EUR 1,160; USD 1,350) ‡+BP*
-
Western Asiatic Stone Seal with Engraved Design
4th-3rd millennium B.C.Estimate: £120 - 170 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £67
Triangular in plan and plano-convex in section with drilled upper face, geometric design to underside. 19 grams, 37 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. -
Western Asiatic Bowl with Blue Glaze
Circa 12th century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
With conical lower body, carination and rounded bowl; white glaze with blue and black zigzags. 394 grams, 17 cm wide
Ex London, UK, gallery, 1971-early 2000s. London, UK, collection. -
Mesopotamian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet Fragment
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Bids: 8 | Current Bid: £55
Rectangular fragment of a tablet with impressed text. 25.8 grams, 37 mm
Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. 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. This small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well-preserved examples.