Western Asiatic Stone and Glass Bead Necklace String

With a rounded body and two looped eyes. 26.4 grams, 39 mm



Acquired in Switzerland, 2002. Private collection, Europe.

Rectangular plaque with slightly flared ends, raised border and mounting hole to each corner; crenellation to inner edge of upper border; twelve lines of dense inscription in raised relief, reading in translation: 'Yin'am and his brother, along with their sons, the Banu Rasham, have dedicated this to their god LBNH, the bull of M'RBN, in his sanctuary at Sim'ân. This inscription is a divine ordinance that he has commanded for them on his property, for their wellbeing and the wellbeing of all they have acquired and will acquire. May LBNH increase their prosperity, favour, health, and strength, and may evil, wrong, ill-will, injustice, WTRKS, and 'W/'F of enemies, both far and near, be kept away from them.' 13.4 kg total, 29 cm including stand



German private collection, acquired in 1980. with Christie’s, New York, 4 June 2008, no.93. Acquired by the present owner at the above sale. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12416-225770.

Discoid in plan and lentoid in section, bearing cuneiform scribal work in large characters on both sides. 153 grams, 81 mm



From a specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. Thence by descent to family members and dispersed in 1988 in London and Geneva.

Such scribal 'practise tablets' are always of this round shape: Type IV tablets, also known as 'lentils', are circular tablets containing one or a few lines of a composition written out once by the teacher and then a second time by the student, either underneath (typical of Nippur tablets), or on the reverse. This would appear to be an example of the latter.