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LOT 1171
Western Asiatic Bone Cylinder Seal with Chariot
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
3/4 in. (2.3 grams, 19 mm).
With incuse frieze of a horse in profile pulling a chariot with driver and large spoked wheel, small standing figure before the horse's chest; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired in the 1980s-2000s.
From an important London, UK, collection.
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AUCTIONS:
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Western Asiatic Stone Macehead
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Piriform with vertical socket expanding towards the narrower end. 385 grams, 84 mm
From a West London, UK, collection, 1980-1990s. 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. -
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Western Asiatic Black Stone Kohl Pot with Geometric Design
2nd millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £169
Bifacial with suspension loops and three tubular chambers, both broad faces with incised geometric pattern of squares and chevrons in a grid. 173 grams, 77 mm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016. -
Babylonian Head of Humbaba
900-700 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Modelled in the half-round with hollow reverse; thick band of hair above the brow, small deep-set eyes, broad nose and mouth with three raised bands extending to a short beard; mounted on a custom-made stand. 128 grams total, 11.5 cm including stand
London art market, 1995. Private collection, Switzerland. Private collection, London. 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.12971-245208.
Humbaba (or Huwawa) was a demon of Mesopotamian legend, most famously described in the Epic of Gilgamesh. He was appointed by the god Enlil as the terrifying guardian of the Cedar Forest, a place of the gods. His grotesque features, with glaring eyes and monstrous expressions, were said to strike fear into anyone who saw him. Babylonian representations of Humbaba often emphasise this fierce appearance, with distorted facial traits designed to ward off evil. Such images could serve an apotropaic purpose, protecting people and places from harm, while also evoking one of the most memorable figures of Babylonian mythology.
