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LOT 1199
Western Asiatic Steatite Cylinder Seal with Deer and Scorpion
CIRCA 1500-1300 B.C.
7/8 in. (13 grams, 22 mm).
Barrel-shaped with incuse frieze of a leaping deer and a scorpion, pellets in the field; supplied with an old dealer's ticket and a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
Accompanied by a previous handwritten catalogue note card.
Cf. Eisen, G.A., Ancient oriental cylinder and other seals with a description of the collection of Mrs William H. Moore, Chicago, 1942, no.151, for a similar scene on a round seal.
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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LOT 1199
Western Asiatic Steatite Cylinder Seal with Deer and Scorpion
Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
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Western Asiatic Agate Bifacial Named Calligraphic Gemstone
Circa 15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £598
Octagonal tabular bifacial panel with incised borders; dense nastaliq script to each face; with old collector's note with transliteration and translation 'Constant hearing with the blessing of the name Muhammed / Sakander Abbas'. 1.63 grams, 17 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
The Nastaʿlīq was one of the most important and widespread calligraphic styles used to write Persian. It was developed in Iran in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was also occasionally used to write the original Arabic language, known as taʿliq, for the titles and headings of books or printed publications, but its use was predominant in Persian, Ottoman Turkish, Urdu, and other languages of Perso-Indian influence. Nastaʿlīq is still widespread in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan for written poetry and as a form of artistic expression (arabesque). -
Mesopotamian Steatite Bowl with Animals and Palm Trees
3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £10,400
Drum-shaped steatite vessel with broad flat rim; low-relief frieze to the outer face: dense vegetation panels with hatched treetrunks and fronds, resting quadrupeds, each with the legs folded beneath the body. 5.3 kg, 24.5 cm wide
Acquired by a Swiss family in the mid-1980s to late 1990s, thence by descent. Private collection, Switzerland, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13026-246787.
In Mesopotamia ancient stone-carvers produced a variety of vessels from soft soapstone (steatite) and pale yellow alabaster, along with jewellery. They include cylindrical boxes, cups, high open-rim vases and a few globular jars. Among it the most prominent products were the cups with tall, slender stalks, apparently intended for religious purposes. The repertoire of motifs of the ‘Intercultural Style’ includes vegetal, architectural, and abstract or naturalistic representations of people and animals, depicted in a carved and inlaid technique. -
Large Bactrian Terracotta Chalice
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £50
Comprising a broad shallow bowl with carination, supported by a sturdy shank on a conical base. 6.15 kg. 32 cm wide
From a London, UK, collection, 1990s.
