Western Asiatic Engraved Black Stone Stamp Seal with Animal

Pillow-shaped with columnar ribbing to the broad faces, dense cuneiform text in the columns. 57.2 grams, 63 mm



Private 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.

Modelled in the round and hollow to the reverse with segmented collar, ribbing to the muzzle and fur texture to the cheeks, mouth with parted lips and fangs exposed; swept ears and lentoid eyes; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 523 grams total, lion: 67.7 mm long



Acquired on the UK art market, 1990s-2000s. Private collection, London, UK.

Including advancing lion, leaping stags and other types; each supplied with a museum-quality impression. 11.9 grams total, 11-19 mm



From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.