Western Asiatic Terracotta Chalice

A mixed group of glass, stone and shell beads of oblate, tabular, cylindrical and other types. 88 grams total, 1-18 mm



Acquired 1970-2010. Collection of a late Japanese gentleman.

A clay tablet of broadly rectangular form, a letter from Šamaš-naṣir (a provincial governor) to his lord, Iluni king of Ešnunna (Tell Asmar), the king passed orders to mobilise the men of Ida-Maraṣ, the name of the country of Ešnunna, to provide grain transport, but the men of the city Zibbatum did not respond to the call despite the governor's request to generals, the people of Zibbatum became apiru, that is, wandering groups; this is a social category well known from the second millennium (notably in the Canaanite texts of El-Amarna) which has sometimes been compared to the Hebrews of the Bible; the tablet reading: 'According to the mission of my Lord, I said to Arahum thus: 'Are not the people of Zibbatum the soldiers of your lord? Why did you make them Apirum?' This is what I said to him and Arahum blamed me, since that time Ibnatum does not cease to be insolent before me and does not cease to hide his troop from me. Yesterday, when I came to my lord, I wanted to inspect him but his troop was not present. I sent one of my servants to the city of Urula, one of my servants to the interior of the country and one of my servants to the city of Labi, his city, in order to (re)lead his troop and himself and until now they have not brought me any news. As soon as they have brought them back to me my lord will hear the punishment I intend to inflict on him. In such a large country as the one my lord has entrusted to me, I...' 183 grams, 10.2 cm wide



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. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples.

A bifacial, lentoid-section rectangular clay tablet with rounded corners and short sides, medial horizontal line to each face, with hand-drawn pictographs above and below, a count of sheep and caprids. 42 grams, 66 mm wide



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. The collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11637-198551.

Early writing was used primarily as a means of recording economic data; this tablet likely records deliveries and distributions of grain. At the end of the 4th millennium B.C., written language developed in Mesopotamia as pictographs, later evolving into abstract forms called cuneiform. Pictographs were drawn in the clay with a pointed implement. Circular impressions alongside the pictographs represented numerical symbols. Cuneiform (meaning wedge-shaped) script was written by pressing a reed pen or stylus with a wedge-shaped tip into a clay tablet.