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LOT 1599
Western Asiatic Bronze and Other Artefact Collection
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.-17TH CENTURY A.D.
3/8 - 1 1/4 in. (15.7 grams total, 11-31 mm).
Including a blue glass mask with applied red detailing, a turned bone baluster, cuboid bead with holes to all four sides and other items. [5, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
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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Western Asiatic Bronze Cloak Pin
Bronze Age, 2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Comprising a round-section tapering pin, columnar finial with ring-and-dot decoration, and four vertical projections at the top. 29.2 grams, 14.5 cm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Kassite Agate Eye Bead with Cuneiform Inscription for King Kurigalzu II in Gold Mount
1400-1000 B.C.Estimate: £80,000 - 100,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £40,000
Polished cabochon in a gold frame with radiating bosses, integral loop; reverse with four incised columns of cuneiform text naming Kurigalzu II. 18.30 grams, 42 mm
Private collection, Mrs M.V., circa 1980s. Kept in Switzerland since the late 1980s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13202-249238.
The cuneiform inscription names Kurigalzu II (c.1332-1308 B.C.), 'strong man, King of Babylon, son of Burnaburiaš.' Kurigalzu II was one of the most powerful Kassite rulers, known for his military campaigns and extensive building projects, including the foundation of the city of Dur-Kurigalzu. Inscribed Kassite agate eye beads are rare and are generally understood to have served amuletic or votive functions, combining royal titulary with protective symbolism. -
Mesopotamian Heavy Silver Bead Necklace
3rd-early 2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,500
Restrung and comprising mainly spherical, elongated ovals, oblates, and biconical shapes; accompanied by a custom-made lined display box. 224 grams, 56 cm
Numismatic and Ancient Art Gallery AG, Ancient Art of the Mediterranean World, No 8, no.5, c.1982. Taisei Gallery, Gold & Silver Auction, Part II, Ancient to Renaissance, 5 November 1992, The Conrad Salon, The Waldorf-Astoria, New York, no.39. Private collection, London. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13265-253358.
The Sumerian word for silver is kú-babbar, which means ‘white metal’. Silver was mined from ores that contained significant amounts of other metals and impurities and therefore requires a great deal of further processing before it can be used. It was considered sacred and immutable, and an extremely high-status material, used for royal jewellery.
