Western Asiatic Stone Cylinder Seal Group

A stone frieze with four lines of large cuneiform text accompanied by documentation to support that this a section from the annals of King Ashurnasirpal II: 'Ashurnasirpal (II), great king, mighty king, king of the universe, king of Assyria, son of Tukulti-Ninurta (II), great king, mighty king, king of the universe, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nirari (II), great king, mighty king, king of the universe, king of Assyria, valiant man, who acts with the support of the weapons of Assur, his lord, who has no equal among the princes of the four regions, king who has subdued (the territories extending) from the opposite bank of the Tigris to Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea, the entire land of Laqû, the land of Suhu as far as the city of Rapiqu. He conquered the sources of the Subnat river as far as the land of Nirbu…'; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 2.85 kg total, 36.5 cm wide including stand



Belgian private collection, acquired before 1960, and thence by descent to the collector's widow. with Mrs Drees (?), Brussels, acquired from the widow of the above, 2004. with Pierre Bergé & Associés, Paris, 28 October 2006, lot 219. with Gorny & Mosch, Munich, 12 December 2023, lot 416. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13369-258955.

Most of the reliefs and inscriptions of this king are in the British Museum and Louvre. Further holdings are in the New York Historical Society, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Yale University. They celebrated the glory of the Assyrians at the apogee of their Empire.

Comprising: a white marble seal with a geometric pattern; a black steatite seal with stars, a lozenge and sickles; a small white limestone seal with a geometric pattern; a grey-brown serpentine seal with a geometric pattern, Jemdet Nasr type; a steatite seal with two standing stags and a lion; supplied with museum-quality impressions. 20.75 grams total, 9-24 mm



From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. Accompanied by previous typed catalogue slips with collection nos.10, 13, 15, 16, 46.

Comprising four rings set with engraved carnelian gemstones and two rings with openwork hoops. 45.8 grams total, 22-30 mm



Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Private collection, London, UK.