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LOT 0271
Western Asiatic Bronze Vessel with Animal Handle
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
6 1/2 in. (533 grams, 16.5 cm wide).
Squat in profile with drum-shaped body and repoussé base; circumferential bands of pellets beneath rim and above foot; applied loop handle with thumb-pad and spur beneath.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
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 Scaraboid Seal with Aramaic Inscription
Late 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
Plano-convex in section with three rows of incised ornament to the underside. 9.32 grams, 16 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Bactrian Bronze Stamp Seal with Zebu
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Substantial rectangular block with loop handle; incuse image of an advancing zebu in profile. 153 grams, 55 mm
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK. -
Middle Assyrian Brick-Shaped Tablet with Funerary Inscription for Adad-Shumu-lesir’s Tomb
1363-912 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,200
A rectangular brick-shaped tablet, inscribed in cuneiform script across three vertical faces, with a single column to the fourth and a continuation of text across the top surface; the inscription a funerary curse relating to the tomb of Adad-šumu-lešir, warning against interference with the burial, reading in part: 'As for a stranger, or somebody who would approach that tomb, or would bring up a corpse out of it and bury his own within, or would touch the silver inside - Adad, Šamaš, or Nergal will fill his house and field with shortage, collapse, and murder. He will repay the property of that tomb sevenfold, dedicating it to Šuriha. For the offspring of Adad-šumu-lešir he shall be undone for taking out and bringing down objects in the tomb, and for burying another body within it. Month Kalmartu, third day, eponymy of Aššur-mušezib.' 333 grams, 14.3 cm
Acquired in 1996. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12872-241667.
This Middle Assyrian brick-shaped tablet bears a funerary inscription for the tomb of Adad-shumu-lesir, a name that reflects devotion to the storm god Adad, an important deity in the Assyrian pantheon. Tablets of this kind were often placed within or near tombs as a lasting record of the individual and to mark ownership or dedication of the burial space. The brick-like form reflects the architectural traditions of Mesopotamia, where inscribed bricks were commonly used in both building and commemorative contexts. Such inscriptions not only honoured the deceased but also served to preserve their name and memory, which was believed to be essential for the afterlife. Objects like this provide valuable insight into Assyrian funerary practices and the importance placed on remembrance and identity beyond death.
