Western Asiatic Stone Cylinder Seal

With barrel-shaped upper and tapering body, modelled with coil detailing around the upper body, tiered rings above and finial of an ibex's head with horns returned to form a collar; mounted on a custom-made stand. 347 grams total, 25.5 cm including stand



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

Rebound as a hardback with full leather binding, drypoint border to covers and central geometric roundel; laid paper pages with usage wear to edges; title page with header block of calligraphic thuluth script in triangular block and several notes in different hands; each page with typically 21 lines of dense naskh script text in black with red underscoring and subdivision marks; occasional marginal notes and footnotes; one quire partly detached; extensive marginal wear to last few pages; copyist unnamed. 379 grams, 13.3 x 18.3 cm



From an important family collection started in the late 1950s. Property of a West London, UK, gentleman. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12274-220412.

The text is 'Muthir algharam ala ziarat alqus w alshaam' (a book on history describing the journey to Jerusalem and the Levant) by Imam Jamal al-Din Abu Mahmoud Ahmad bin Muhammad Ibn Hilal al-Maqdisi al-Shafi'i who died in 765 A.H. (1363 A.D.). The copy is dated to 899 A.H. (1464 A.D.).

With incised linear ornament and drilled pellets. 6.3 grams, 32 mm



Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector; collection no.22. London collection, 2016.