Details

LOT 0602

Western Asiatic Elamite Amethyst Cylinder Seal for Shuk-Kuku Son of Rab-Baba

19TH-16TH CENTURY BC

1" (11 grams, 25mm).

A carved amethyst cylinder seal with figural frieze and owner's inscription; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and typed and signed scholarly note issued by W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham 1970-1993, which states: "Cylinder Seal of Pale Amethyst 25 x 15 mm. The design shows two facing, standing figures. The one on the left is a goddess, in long robe and headdress, raising one hand. The facing figure on the right also wears a long robe, but has a bare head and raises both hands. A star appears between the two heads. There is a five-line inscription in Elamite cuneiform naming the ancient seal owner: Shuk-Kuku / son of Rab-Baba / messenger / servant of Nin-si'anna. This is an Elamite seal from the period of the Sukkalmaḫs, c. 1900-1600 B.C. The goddess Nin-si'anna is a local variety of the Babylonian Ishtar, Venus. Thus the star serves to identify the goddess. The seal has some fractures and other slight damage, but the scene and inscription can still be seen."

Provenance

From an important North London collection formed before 1980; accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate number 8576(25).

CONDITION