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LOT 0240
Western Asiatic Haematite Cylinder Seal with Presentation Scene
CIRCA 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
3/4 in. (4.04 grams, 18 mm).
With detailed frieze including a standing figure with tall helmet, raising his arm to strike a similar figure with both hands raised, bird above the scene and ankh below, smaller combat scene below with beast and kneeling figure with an axe; guilloche and other items in the field; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenanceFrom an important London, UK, collection, 1970-1990.
Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0240
Western Asiatic Haematite Cylinder Seal with Presentation Scene
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
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Achaemenid Bronze Phiale Mesomphalos
5th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
With flanged rim, central mesomphalos boss surrounded by radiating lotus petals. 186 grams, 16.5 cm wide
From the collection of M. Cummings, UK, 1990s.
Phiale mesomphalos (literally: bowl with central boss) were the most popular form of vessel and were produced in a number of materials, including clay, bronze, silver and gold. They are a distinctive type of Achaemenid tableware, made by hammering or raising sheet metal, with decoration added in repoussé. They were used in banquets held by the nobility and for pouring libations at religious festivals. Phiales of this kind were a common gift from the Achaemenid king to the nobility which helped cement alliances among the different tribes of the Empire. The central boss to the underside allowed the user to secure their fingers and ensure a solid grip whilst drinking or pouring. -
Mesopotamian Shell Necklace Bead Group
Circa 4th millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £182
Including beads of tubular, biconical, disc, annular and other types of varying sizes. 72.7 grams total, 3-41 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Sassanian Gold Ring with Garnet Intaglio
Circa 3rd century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Hollow-formed with ellipsoid stepped bezel, granule to one edge for alignment, inset cabochon intaglio of a nude male gripping the edges of an arch. 7.52 grams, 24.20 mm overall, 18.16 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 9.95, Japan 9)
Private Swiss collection, acquired 1999. Ex Surena collection, London, UK. Private European collection.