Western Asiatic Stone Vessel with Incised Decorations

Discoid footed dish with raised rim, central tondo with parcel-gilt ring and 'tamga' motif. 466 grams, 22 cm



Private collection, UK. 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.13029-247330.

During the Sasanian Empire, the North Iranian ‘tamgas’ became ‘Neshan’ or seals and heraldic symbols of nobility and military personnel, worn on their dress, horses, standards and personal belongings like this vessel. This characteristic also continued during the early Muslim domination. Among the Neshan published by Christensen, one particular ‘tamga’, related to an unknown Sasanian clan, recalls exactly half of the one impressed on the present example (Farrokh, 2005, p.23 no.5).

Fragmentary section of a tablet with impressed characters; repaired. 123 grams, 81 mm



Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. 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. This small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.

Rectangular leaf with text blocks framed in red bilinear markings, illustrations inset with some overlaps; recto - twelve lines of nastaliq script with one word picked out in red; image of travellers being greeted by females in floor-length robes; verso - twelve lines of script, illustration of travellers on donkey and camel and on foot meeting a traveller on horseback emerging form behind a tree; chipped, small tears to edges, small hole patched. 21 grams, 34.6 x 31.1 cm



Private collection, UK.