Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Ancient World: Near Eastern: Stone (466)

A collectors lot of 5 stamp seals in different kind of stones incl. serpentine and chlorite, made in semi-autonomous Neo-Hittite states of Syria and Levante, during the Neo-Assyrian period, early 1st. millenium BC.

The seals mostly of the tall pyramid shape, but there's also a 4-side rectangular seal, engraved with symbols on all 4 sides and vertically drilled. Another fine seal is cones-shaped and with a high relief engraving of the base.

Size: Up to 15 mm. max height...

A nice study lot of 5 stamp seals in different kind of stones incl. serpentine and marple, made in semi-autonomous Neo-Hittite states of Syria and Levante, during the Neo-Assyrian period, early 1st. millenium BC.

The seals mostly of the tall pyramid shape, but there's also a double-side rectangular seal. The bases and sides engraved with crosses and other symbols.

Size: Up to 17 mm. max height...

A lovely and very rare early seal pendant with recessed animal, Northern Mesopotamia, c. 5th.-4th. millenium BC.

Late Halaf period large oval pendant with flat backside and the seal engraved with a four-legged animal, loop at the top.

Size: c. 27 mm. tall.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from old collections...

A fine black stone stamp seal with high relief, Ancient Near East Uruk period, c. 2nd. half of the 4th. millenium BC.

High relief cross with recessed circles in each quadrant.

Reff. See Christies sale of the Erlenmeyer collection 6th. june 1989, lot 208 for a quite similar representation (finds in Tepe Sialkh and Tepe Hissar).

Size: 21-22 mm. in diameter and 11-12 mm...

An exceptional stamp seal in a fine harder greyish green stone, Anatolia / Northern Syria c. 4th. millenium BC.

The base of the seal is engraved with a fantastic and very graphical depiction of a flock of birds in flight.

A superb Gable seal type with perfect symethri and sharp lines and the impressive size makes it worthy of any collection of early seals.

Size: 60 mm. long and 29 mm...

An low oval stone seal of the Cruciform design family, Northern Syria or Mesopotamia, Ubaid / Uruk period, c. 5th.-4th. millenium BC.

A very early seal with low handle and drill in an all black stone with a nice and symethric engraving of an angle-filled cross.

Size: c. 19-20 mm...

A rare substantial rectangular stamp seal with pronounced handle at the back and engraved with a fine 4 parallel panels of Zig-zag patterns, c. 4th. millenium BC, perhaps somewhat earlier.

Size: 24-25 mm. long and 20 mm...

A seldomly offered ancient stamp seal in good condition with a nice Zig-Zag design, South Caspian Sea area, 5th.-4th...

A nice smaller stamp seal in a fine stone, engraved with a cross-linear grid-like pattern. The fine engraving of the base is a tell-tale for the late manifacture, Levantine, c. 2nd. millenium BC.

Size: 14 mm. The base in fine intact condition the high handle worned through from use.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from old collections. Gustav Oberlände...

Interesting and unclassified blackstone button stamp seal, carved with cross and pellets, c. 4th. millenium BC.

Probably Mesopotamian or from ancient near east, carved in quite high relief in a nice jet-black stone.

Size: 19-20 mm.

Condition: Near fine, the seal has a fine and intact imprint, with an ancient loss / damage to the upperside of the seal over the loop, which is also intact.

A scarce and seldomly offered ancient stamp seal in good condition with a nice Zig-Zag design, South Caspian Sea area, 5th.-4th. millenium BC.

An low oval stone seal, as peculiar for this type is that it's symethric and does not have a flattened base with a seal engraving as is typical with the earliest seals. Carved in a brownish stone and with Zig-Zag at one side and with a few fainter engraved symbols on the other siden.

Size: 21 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Go...

An low hemispheric stone seal of the Cruciform design family, Anatolia or Syria, Uruk period, c. 3500 BC.

An early seal in a jet black stone with a nice and symethric engraving of an angle-filled cross.

Size: c. 18-19 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Nice Very Fine, much smooth wear, but completely intact and attractive.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at repu...

Interesting and beautiful seal made in a very hard high quality shiny mottled green-blue stone. The seal Western Mesopotamia / Levantine 5th-4th. millenium BC.

Interesting archaic desing of the base but note the extremely fine style with multiple crossed lines, which were possible due to choice of stone.

Size: 20 mm. long and c. 13 mm. tall.

Condition: Extremely fine, intact and as good as they come.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberlä...

Anatolia, c. 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

Nice carving in an attractive green-black stone.

Size: 27-28 mm. long.

Condition: Good Fine, with moderate ancient wear and a sharp seal base, ancient chip to the top-side corner.

The seal comes with the original ID-card from below collection.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from old ...

A very large and lovely round stamp seal with a fine symethric cross or star engraving with confident strokes, c. 4th. millenium BC.

In dark green stone. Halaf style, Mesopotamia, but is likely to be 4th. millenium revival style since it's carved in this low rounded gableform.

Such a large and early seal in good style is rarely seen on the market.

Size: 39-40 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Good Very fine, complete and undamaged, with a nice smooth anc...

A beautiful and scarce stone stamp seal, carved in black serpentine with a high handle, Western Asia, Hittite period, 2nd. millenium BC.

Triangular seal plate, engraved with what looks to be a sort of script or symbols, looks almost Egyptian in the style, but we're not certain and it should be researched some more. Finely made knob handle with piercing

Length: 27 mm. height c. 12 mm.

Condition: Nice Very fine. Even smooth wear and exceptional patina, a really nic...

A large and rare stamp seal made in an interesting pale green stone, South Mesopotamia, Late Uruk / Jemdet Nasr period, 3300-2900 BC.

Domed hemispheric seal with a fine free carving in a drill style of running animals.

Size: 32-33 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Very fine, few ancient micro chips and wear, but basically intact and attractive.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 -...

An high quality thick / massive cylinder seal in fine white marple, carved with the 'eye' or circle/rhomboid pattern - a characteristic and significant design for the Period. The seal is slightly conical as tipical for the latest seals of Jemdet Nasr.

The Jemdet Nassr Period in seal manifacturing,3300-2900 BC, were spreading from Southern Mesopotamia, where a great number of administrative cuneiform tablets and seals came from. Such seals was used to impress pictures or descriptions i...

A very unusual and attractive, larger stamp seal, round and conical, the back with a large high relief cross, North Mesopotamia or Syria, c. 4th. millenium BC.

Carved in a black stone and the face of the seal, engraved with crossed line design.

Size: 27 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Good Very fine for the elaborate type, fine wear and patina, basically intact.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important coll...

Attractive and impressive large stamp seal, engraved with an intriquing geomethric design, Anatolia or Mesopotamian, c. 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

Interesting design of the seal, floral or perhaps female fertility forms, deeply engraved in the black serpentine stone. Looks a bit like some of the designs during Jemdet Nasr, which could date this seal to around 3300-2900 BC

Size: c. 30 x 27 mm.

Condition: Choice VF, light wear to the edge but basically intact and attr...

A very large and superb carving in an rectangular gable form, Anatolia, later style of the 3rd.- millenium BC.

The seal carved in a light brown stone with mirrored horned animals with a star between their legs.

Size: 39 mm. x 35 mm.

Condition: Good Very Fine, some wear to the drilled hole at the back, othervise superb with a lovely orange brown patina!

Comes with the original ID-card from below collection.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (192...

A fine stamp seal in beige-brown stone, Levantine, c. 3rd. millenium BC.

The seal engraved with cross pattern.

Size: 20 mm.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from old collections. Gustav Oberländer specialized in early stamp seals from the pre-historic and Dynastic civilizations in the Near East / Mesopotamia, Anatolia and Bactrian.

A fine large oval stamp seal in green black stone, Uruk period, later 4th. mill. BC.

The seal is carved with a wonderful image of 6 centopedes in high relief, drilled horisontically.

Size: 37 mm. long.

Condition: Very Fine, with loss to small part of the but leaving the design almost intact.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from ...

A very large stamp seal in green-black stone depicting a horned animal, Anatolia 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

A late Gable seal type with an advanced rendering of the animal, that shows the Pre-Hittite or old hittite style. The large seal plate also leaves for the long tail and a crescent above.

Size: 45 mm. long and 33 mm. tall.

Condition: Nice Very Fine, with moderate ancient wear to the corners. Very attractive in hand.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (19...

A thick early cylinder seal in white-yellow marple, carved with the 'eye' or circle/rhomboid form - a characteristic and significant design for the Period.

The Jemdet Nassr Period in seal manifacturing,3300-2900 BC, were spreading from Southern Mesopotamia, where a great number of administrative cuneiform tablets and seals came from. Such seals was used to impress pictures or descriptions into soft, prepared clay. These seals guaranteed the authenticity of marked ownership: as such, t...

A very nice early cylinder seal in white marple, carved with a characterestic and significant geomethric design for the Period.

A nice thick cylinder in a high quality white marple stone!

The Jemdet Nassr Period in seal manifacturing,3300-2900 BC, were spreading from Southern Mesopotamia, where a great number of administrative cuneiform tablets and seals came from. Such seals was used to impress pictures or descriptions into soft, prepared clay. These seals guaranteed the aut...

A nice early cylinder seal in white marple, carved with the 'eye' or circle/rhomboid form - a characteristic and significant design for the Period.

The Jemdet Nassr Period in seal manifacturing,3300-2900 BC, were spreading from Southern Mesopotamia, where a great number of administrative cuneiform tablets and seals came from. Such seals was used to impress pictures or descriptions into soft, prepared clay. These seals guaranteed the authenticity of marked ownership: as such, they were...

A choice and beautiful red carnelian Cylinder seal, dating to the Achaemenid Empire, 7th.-4th. century BC.

Finely carved and polished barrel-shaped, carved with two animals at the sides of a tree. The clay impression, we made is not the best, but the seal is really sharp and attractive in hand.

Size: 19-20 mm. tall.

Condition: Extremely fine.

Provenance: Gert Cleff, Wuppertal, aquired in 1989 at Kölner Münzkabinett Tyll Kroha

A very large and scarce round gable stamp seal in black serpentine stone, Anatolia, c. 4th. millenium BC.

The fine seal with central drilling and carved with an animal on the base.

Size: 35 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Nice VF, some wear, especially to the drilled hole from ancient use.

This seal comes with the original ID-card from below collection.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important col...

A wonderful large round stone seal with loop at the back and a fine square cross-line design on the seal, Mesopotamia, 6th.-5th. millenium BC.

Size: 33 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Nice VF, some wear, especially to the loop from ancient use.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from old collections. Gustav Oberländer specialized in early stamp sea...

A massive sub-rectangular seal with high handle and perforation, in black large grained stone, Halaf period, 6th. millenium BC.

The seal is beautifully engraved with a leaf design with a central line and diagonal strokes off it.

Size: 38-39 mm. long - unusually large for the early fabric.

Condition: Near Very Fine, loss at the side and some roughness, deep relief seal. Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important coll...

A fine condition square stamp seal in black stone, carved with a elaborate cross design, the seal a flat square, Ancient Near East, probably Luristan, 4th. mill. BC.

Szie: 20 mm. x 20 mm.

Condition: Extremely fine, hard uncleaned earthern deposits.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from old collections. Gustav Oberländer specialized in early ...

Attractive and impressive large stamp seal, engraved with two horned animals, likely muflons, Anatolia 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

A large seal in a in a rectangular gable form, deeply engraved with a vivid motif in the black serpentine stone. Fine style for period.

Size: c. 40 mm. wide x 27 mm. tall.

Condition: Near VF, ancient loss to the top right corner.

Comes with the original collection ID-Card from the Oberländer collection!

Provenance: ...

A scarce, seldomly offered, hemispheric stamp seal, probably Luristan or Susa area, pre-historic period, 5th.-4th. millenium BC.

The seal of an excellent style and nice carved in a serpentine black stone with a star radiating from a circular borders and a central dot.

Size: c. 20 mm. wide.

Condition: Nearly Extremely fine, very nice!.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 20...

Wonderful large Tabloid seal in greenish-black Serpentine stone, North-Mesopotamian, 2nd. half of the 4th. mill. BC.

The seal rectangular - tablet formed - engraved with architectorial elements, likely Ladders and line decoration.

Size: 35 mm. tall and 29 mm. wide.

The Tabloid seals represent a special group of later 4th. millenium seals, often decorated with long ladder-like elements, perhaps representing a way to the heavens.

Seals in the pre-hist...

Fine stamp seal made in white stone, South Mesopotamia, Late Uruk / Jemdet nasr period, 3300-2900 BC.

Hemispheric seal carved with dots in the drill style.

Size: 26 mm. in diameter.

Comes with the original collection ID-Card from the Oberländer collection!

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from old collections. Gustav Oberländer spe...