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LOT 1579
Western Asiatic Black Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 1/2 in. (57.2 grams, 63 mm).
Pillow-shaped with columnar ribbing to the broad faces, dense cuneiform text in the columns.
ProvenancePrivate collection of Mr K., Maryland, USA.
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in 2000.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate no.12893-241757.
The 2nd millennium B.C. (about 2000–1000 B.C.) was an important period in the ancient Near East, when major civilisations such as the Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites, and Egyptians grew in power and influence. It was a time of progress in trade, government, law, and writing, helping us understand how people lived and worked. Cuneiform tablets, which are small clay tablets written in one of the earliest writing systems, were widely used to record business, legal matters, letters, and stories. When these tablets are found outside their place of origin, it can show connections through trade, travel, or official communication, offering insight into both the ancient world and how such objects later moved through collections.
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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LOT 1579
Western Asiatic Black Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£550 (EUR 638; USD 743) ‡+BP*
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Aramaic Terracotta Magical Incantation Bowl with Central Drawing
Circa 4th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
With conical body, the inner face bearing the remains of concentric rings of inked magical Aramaic text. 285 grams, 17.2 cm wide
Private collection, 1980s. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK
Aramaic incantation bowls are particular to the Sasanian period and have been found in the regions of modern Iraq. These simple ceramic bowls, also known as magic bowls, each contain an Aramaic inscription, written in ink, which spirals from the centre. The bowls seem to have played an important part in domestic life. For example, during excavation in Nippur in 1889, one or more incantation bowls were found in each house together with domestic artefacts, most often in doorways or under floorboards in the corner of rooms. The bowls are predominantly apotropaic, and the inscriptions tend to protect their owners from misfortunes such as childbirth, illness and evil spirits. -
Old Babylonian Terracotta Cuneiform Tablet, a Legal Document
Circa 1800-1600 B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Pillow-shaped with cuneiform text to both flat faces and one edge; accompanied by an old handwritten slip: 'Old Babylonian legal document, c.1800-1600 B.C.'. 101 grams, 66 mm
Private collection, 1980s. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK. Accompanied by an old handwritten note by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Bowl with Concentric Circles
Circa 4th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £50 - 70 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Squat and hemispherical in profile with pairs of incised rings to the inner face. 80 grams, 11.4 cm wide
Ex Abelita collection, 1990s.
