LOT 0241

Western Asiatic Sumerian Bulla Envelope Containing Tokens

5500-4500 BC

2 1/4" (135 grams, 58mm).

A sealed spherical clay bulla envelope, containing clay tokens which can be heard rattling inside; impressed zoomorphic designs to the equator, including an ibex and a rampant lion.

From the property of a London gentleman; formerly in a UK collection, acquired in the 1990s; accompanied by a copy of a collection record, no.4.

It is believed that there are less than 250, complete and fragmentary, examples of this type of bulla envelope worldwide. This is the second example ever offered at auction. The bulla first emerged in Mesopotamia around 8000 BC. The clay envelopes contain a number of pre-baked accounting tokens, which were used in commercial and stock-taking transactions. Placing the tokens inside the bulla greatly enhanced the honesty of the transaction, as the bulla would have to be broken or crushed to reveal its contents.