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LOT 1345
Western Asiatic Stone and Other Bead Necklace String
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C. AND LATER
16 1/2 in. (19.6 grams, 42 cm long).
Restrung designer necklace with two central feature beads; composed of graduated beads of various types of stone, glass and shell. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceUK gallery, early 2000s.
LiteratureCf. Hussein, M.M., Altaweel, M., Gibson, McGuire, Nimrud The Queen’s Tombs, Baghdad-Chicago, 2016, pl.164, lett.b, for a similar bead necklaces made of a mixture of stones, glass and shell.
FootnotesSimilar beads were found during the excavations of the royal tombs of Nimrud. Thousands of beads were discovered in the sarcophagi, including those of Nimrud’s Queens; they probably originally formed part of wide collars with multiple strands.
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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Achaemenid Gold Ram Earring
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The shank formed from a group of twisted rods developing to a hollow-formed conical bulb with ram's head finial; applied filigree detailing, beaded wire horns, hook closure. 2.18 grams, 22 mm
From the H.N. collection, Milton Keynes, Berkshire, UK, 1990s. -
Western Asiatic Glass Bottle
Circa 10th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Elliptical in section with dimple base, columnar neck. 18 grams, 55 mm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Sumerian Terracotta 'Bulla Envelope' with Impressed Decoration
Uruk Period, circa 5500-3100 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Complete and of spherical form, containing clay 'tokens'; the outer face impressed with enigmatic motifs. 158 grams, 64 mm
Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1988. Thence by descent to family members. 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. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. Accompanied by a copy of previous typed and illustrated cataloguing sheets.
The tokens sealed within the bulla are believed to have been used as part of the accounting process in Sumerian or early Uruk agriculture.
