Western Asiatic Bichrome Terracotta Jug

Columnar in form with bulbous hairstyle descending to a tapering tail; stub arms to the sides and small right-angled feet; impressed herringbone texture to the hair; robe with hatched detailing to the collar, belt and hem, rosette and other detailing; supplied with a custom-made display stand. 115 grams, 76 mm (130 grams, 95 mm including stand)



Private collection, Europe. Acquired in 2003. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12894-241695. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cylinder with standing figures and animals, restrung pair of red stone beads, old handwritten label '1659'; accompanied by a copy of an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder Seal of Black Stone, 40.5 x 19.5 mm. The deeply engraved design shows two warrior gods, standing, wearing short kilts with one hand raised the other holding an object the one holding a spear, the other an unidentified item represented by a vertical line. Before each standing warrior god is a sideways horned animal in one case and a sideways donkey in the other. There is a row of symbols along the top of the area: a circle with cross inside, an inverted crescent and dot, and a bull's head. There are horizontal rulings above and below the scene. This is a North Syrian or Anatolian seal c. 2000-1800 B.C. This is a rare type, and a nice example. The points on the top of the heads of the gods are no doubt spiked helmets, and the short kilt also fits the Anatolian storm god, which was worshipped in a variety of different forms. The style of engraving is deep but uncluttered and has a considerable charm.'; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 30.8 grams, 40 mm



Armand Trampitsch, Glyptique Archéologie, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 13-14 May 1992, no.23 [Part]. Accompanied by a copy of a scholarly note, typed and signed by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert in 1992. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

A medieval period flat-section rectangular plaque pierced at the broad end with incised calligraphic legend: 'Zahra the splendid or the radiant governor of Esphahan ...', Zaraa or Zahra is a female name which also refers to boundless beauty (ذرع اصفهانی واسع الخلیفه با ما معمور). 10.6 grams, 51 mm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.