Western Asiatic Style Lapis Lazuli Bead Necklace String

Broad and squat with lip to the inner edge of the mouth, concentric rings to the centre. 240 grams, 18.5 cm



Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.

Comprising: profile gryphons flanking a scorpion; stylised linear design; combat scene with two figures tackling a rearing lion; ibexes running amid hatched foliage; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 22.7 grams total, 15.7-26 mm



From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.

Spherical, undecorated bulla envelope containing clay tokens. 74 grams, 50 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. Accompanied by a previous cataloguing slip.

Small globular and hollow clay balls are defined as 'bulla'. They are also known as ‘bulla-envelopes', some of which are plain and some displaying epigraphic, zoomorphic and/or figural decoration, impressed by either cylinder or stamp seals. Bullae first emerged in Mesopotamia, and their earliest occurrence can be traced to circa 8000 B.C. Most known decorated bullae come from the Uruk area and offer an insight into its culture.