A bracelet or arm ring, Ancient Near East, Median or early Achaemenid, c. 800-600 BC.

A nice somewhat cleaned bracelet of fine high quality silver with two stag heads as finials.

Size: c. 60 mm. in diameter and weighing 33.54 grams.

Ex. Cristian Spinu Private Collection, aquired at Artemission, London 2014.

A fine Grecco -Persian bronze spearhead, later 1st mill BC.

The blade with slim shoulders and central midrib. The sharp edges of the blade slope into a long, folded conical socket with an opening at the back and a straight.

Size: 34,5 cm - socket is about 18 cm.

Condition: Choice - cleaned somewhat hard, but still with nice red and green patina, as shown on photos.

Ex Private Collection.

A fascinating and exceedingly rare bronze stamp seal of the Hephthalites or the Whine Huns as they're also known. Hunic Empire of the Hindu Kush, 4th.-6th. century AD.

The seal is of an advanced form with a tall handle ending in an oval loop. The plate is oval and engraved with a fine depiction of a parading horse.

Size: 17 x 16 mm...

A fine intact stone wig / separate hair, BACTRIA-MARGIANA COMPLEX, late 3RD- early 2ND mill B.C.

Separately made hair of green chlorite for a large composite stone figure. These have often lost their hair, since they were not tightly fixated and would have fallen off and cracked.

A very detailed and elaborate wig or hair carved with groves.

Size: 32 x 25 mm.

Ex. Old Danish Private Collection

This pair is part of a collection we are posting on the site. These are often misidentified as crossbow arrow ends. However, to our knowledge no such items have ever been found associated with crossbow bolts. These particular pieces went over the ends of the wooden ribs in large parasols. The protruding hooks put tension on the strings or straps that were attached to the skin of the parasol...

Ancient North Mesopotamian or Anatolian stamp seal of the round type, 4th.- early 3rd. millenium type of the later Ubaid / Uruk period.

Very attractive large seal in smooth dark serpentine and carved with a stylized zoomorphic depiction.

Size: 30 mm...

An attractive round dark green almost black stone seal of the hemispheric form of the Uruk period, 4th.-3rd. mill. BC.

The seal is finely polished and carved with a stylized motif that looks a like an insect.

Size: 20 mm. diameter and 11 mm...

Attractive oval stamp seal, almost the shape of a scaraboid but much older belonging to the Uruk period of North-Western Mesopotamia, c. 4th. mill. BC.

The seal engraved with an interesting motif of integrated animals (see Id card for a description.

Size: 25 mm. long and 19 mm. wide.

Condition: Good Very fine.

Added to the Oberländer collection in 1994...

A nice larger stone seal, Middle Assyrian Empire, 1363-912 BC.

The seal is carved in a jet black stone, and depicts a crowded array of a human, animals and symbols, (bad roll-out, the seal is sharper).

Size: 28-29 mm. tall and 14 mm. thick.

Condition: VF, intact with fine patination and micro deposits.

Ex. German Private Collection

A large and very beautiful cloudy Chalcedony stamp seal, Neo-babylonian period of Mesopotamia, 9th.-7th. century BC. A large and very beautiful cloudy Chalcedony stamp seal, Neo-babylonian period of Mesopotamia, 9th.-7th. century BC.

Pyramidal shape. Decorated with a stylized image, hole through the top.

Very nice stone quality.

Size: ca. 36-37 mm.

Ex. German Private Collection

Interesting and very large early stamp seal in serpentine stone, dating to the late neolithic period of Western Mesopotamia, c. 6th. mill. BC.

Finding place: Ebene at the Orontes.

The rectangular seal carved with a grit-pattern and with medium tall ridged and pierced handle on the back.

Size: 38 mm. long andd 24 mm. wide, 18 mm...

Attractive seal carved in the hemispheric-dome shape in a greenish-black hardstone, Early Achaemenid c. 7th.-5th. cent BC.

The seal engraved in the base with a fancy bird, probably a Peacock, which was a much favored bird among the Persians...

Interesting conoid shaped stamp seal in black stone, probably serpentine, engraved on the base with a deer with large antlers and on the upperside with unidentified engravings. Greater Mesopotamia area and porabably from the Ubaid/Urum period 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

Super nice stylized engraving of the deer! There's certainly some engravings on the upperside as well but uncleaned and unresearched.

Size: 255 mm. in diameter and c. 18 mm...

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 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 lovely intact late neolithic period stamp seal, found in West Mesopotamia and dating around the 4th. mill. BC.

Hemispheric stamp seal with a low handle and a fine high-relief carving of a sun-symbol in the base - attractive!

Size: 25 mm. in diameter and 11 mm. tall.

Condition: Near Extremely fine, choice and with fine patina.

This seal was aquired 2008 and comes with hard impression and original ID-card from below collection.

Provenance: G...

A large gable seal carved in black stone with a Geomethric leaf pattern under the base, Western Mesopotamia, 5th. mill. BC. A very early seal of the gable type.

Size: 36 mm long and 23 mm wide, 11 mm thick.

Condition: VF, basically intact with minor wear to the edge.

Added to the Oberländer collection in 2002. Comes with original ID card from the Oberländer collection and imprint!

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his ma...

Attractive blackstone cylinder seal, Eastern Anatolian or Western Mesopotamian, c. 3rd. millenium BC.

The seal was dated by a dealer to the Neo-Assyrian period, which we think is completely wrong. The depictions includes two tall figures, animals and a latter.

Size: 28 mm. and 8 mm thick.

Condition: Very fine, atttractive!.

Comes with hard impression and ID card from below collection.

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

Wonderful birdhead-shaped stamp seal in a glossy green hardstone (rare!), Syro-Levantine part of Mesopotamia, probably 5th. mill. BC.

A pre-historic / Neolithic seal carved with a fine grit pattern in the base, the form of the seal itself as a stylized birds head.

Size: 28 mm. wide and 18 mm. tall.

Condition: Good Very fine, small ancient scuff.

Added to the Oberländer collection in 1994. Comes with original ID card from the Oberländer collection an...

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.

Condition: All intact.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1...

Interesting lot of attractive seals and including a large amulet, Mesopotamia, c. 3rd. mill. BC.

The amulet polished smooth in an nice green stone rectangular with a pierced handle and a piercing in the middle as well. The seals engraved with criss-cross and animals.

Size: The amulet measure 36 mm. as the largest.

These seals/amulet comes with ID-cards from below collection, made by the collector.

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

Interesting and rare depiction of a woman and three men standing side by side on this slightly oval stamp which is probably a stylized scarab form with curved upperside. Carved in green stone with a faint cross on the back. The seal can probably be dating to the 3rd.-early 2nd. millenium BC.

Size: 22 mm x 20 mm. and 11 mm. tall.

Condition: Nice Very fine.

Added to the Oberländer collection in 1994. Comes with original ID card from the Oberländer collection a...

Interesting cylinder seal in white stone with fine drill-carving of figures and an alter, Neo-Assyrian provinces, early 1st. mill. BC.

Size: 26-27 mm. tall.

Nicely engraved but with some uncleaned earthern deposits that disturb the imprint a bit, so wit would improve when cleaned.

Ex. Danish Private Collection, this seal aquired in the early 1990s.

Larger seal carved in black stone, Western Mesopotamia, 2nd. millenium BC.

A very special and rare stamp seal, carved in the shape of a high tower with 4 turrets. The base engraved with a seated humanoid figure beside a tree. Drilled at the top.

Size: 28 mm. tall and 16,5 mm. wide at the max.

Condition: Very fine, loss to one turret but othervise good very fine and with a nice ancient patina.

Added to the Oberländer collection in 2004. Comes with ...

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 very large gable seal carved in white stone with smaller and larger animal, Western Mesopotamia, 4th. mill. BC.

Size: 37 mm long and 27 mm wide, 11 mm thick.

Condition: VF, basically intact with minor wear to the edges.

Added to the Oberländer collection in 1995. Comes with original ID card from the Oberländer collection and imprint!

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

A finely grooved and scarce Danish macehead in granite, Single Grave period, 3rd. millenium BC.

The artifact is polished to a symethric compressed oval form with a deep groove in the center. These were made by the singlegrave culture and was used as a weapon alongside the battle axes from this culture.

Size: 83 mm. tall.

Condition: Choice, with fine patina and undamaged.

Ex. Private Collection.

*** This item comes with a standard export lice...

An ancient fragment of a Roman Mosaic floor, complete with poly-coloured bricks forming a nice pattern, probably Late Roman 3rd.-4th. century AD.

Size: 10 cm. x 7,7 cm.

Ex. Old Private Collection.

This is a remarkably well preserved black pottery vessel from the early Khmer culture. It dates to at least 600AD and is possibly much older. It is roughly 19 cm tall. It shows no signs of repair or restoration. There are traces of root fibers on parts of the surface and what looks like calcification on the surface of the base. This is a great opportunity to own a rare piece of Ancient Asia at a terrific price.

A very nice lot of stringed glass bead and bird-amulets etc. also in coloured glass, including a perfect condition, Roman miniature glass jug with handle and openwork design, c. 1st.-4th. century AD.

Size: c. 40 cm. of beads and amulets in a single row, the jug is c. 21-22 mm. tall.

Ex. German Collection.

Egyptian Faience Blue Floral Amulet 1,6 cm

Faience is a glazed ceramic known for producing bright colours, especially blues, turquoises and greens. It is produced from quartz or sand crystals mixed with other compounds and can be cast into moulds to create beads or amulets like these ones. Faience gimmers in the light and was believed by the Egyptians to represent rebirth and immortality. The colours had different symbolisms for example, blue was thought to reflect fertility and life...

Glazed jugs with flared rim lip and low strap handle. The tapering wall slightly offset from the flat base. Both jugs standing on a flat base and covered with a brownish glaze.
Marks of fingers along the belly of one item. The other jug with faint traces of fingertips around the base from dipping it into the glaze.
The shape of the larger jug connects to type 5335, from Ordona, in: Jean-Paul Morel. Céramique Campanienne: Les Formes. Rome 1981.
Ceramic
Apulian, 350-3...

Egyptian Faience Green Monflower Amulet 1,7 cm

Faience is a glazed ceramic known for producing bright colours, especially blues, turquoises and greens. It is produced from quartz or sand crystals mixed with other compounds and can be cast into moulds to create beads or amulets like these ones. Faience gimmers in the light and was believed by the Egyptians to represent rebirth and immortality. The colours had different symbolisms for example, blue was thought to reflect fertility and ...

The winged scarab was also a common motif on mummy masks and coffins, representing rebirth. Along with the 4 Sons of Horus, it too would have been placed on the beaded netting, usually placed over the heart.

Condition: look at pictures

If you are interested, feel free to send me a offer a.v.d.b@egyptian-artefacts.de

This is an ancient Etruscan Impasto Jug with double handles, c. 650 BC. It has a few old chips from use but is otherwise intact. It is 5" tall x 4.25" wide (12.5 cm x 11 cm)and is from an old Dutch collection, possibly from Latium. A ribbed and pleasing shape.

This is an Achaean archer's arrowhead that was crafted in bronze using the V-shaped tanged technique. It belongs to the type VIII b category and dates back to the Bronze Age, which lasted from 1500 B.C. until the final phases of the Mycenaean period in 1100 B.C. Ancient Greek archers commonly used this type of arrowhead during the Trojan War.

REFERENCES: For related Greek - Achaean's V-shaped tanged arrowhead, please see:

1. http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/weapons3.htm

2. https:...

Interesting stone bead with three bands of drilled concentric circles, some of them linked with lines. Remains of red pigment in the cavities.
The Ghaznavid dynasty originated from Turkic slave-guards and lasted from 977 to 1186 AD. At their greatest extent the Ghaznavids controlled large parts of Iran, Afghanistan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest of the Indian subcontinent.
For related examples, cf. Art Curial Paris, Archéologie et Arts d'Orient, 24 May 2016 sale, lot no. ...

Egyptian Amarna Faience Blue Floral Amulet 1,1 cm

Faience is a glazed ceramic known for producing bright colours, especially blues, turquoises and greens. It is produced from quartz or sand crystals mixed with other compounds and can be cast into moulds to create beads or amulets like these ones. Faience gimmers in the light and was believed by the Egyptians to represent rebirth and immortality. The colours had different symbolisms for example, blue was thought to reflect fertility a...

Four pages of a Burmese astrology manuscript. Black ink text and various colours describing constellations shown by white dots, on yellow dyed thick paper. Reverse with text. Overall size 58x42cm. Undated, estimated to be 19th century or earlier. Can be viewed in central London and shipped worldwide.

Ancient Roman terracotta oil lamp with molded designs around the shoulder . The end of the lamp has a loss to the handle and burn marks at the wick opening. Size almost 3" w 2.5"

This is a very interesting bronze, socketed spear from ancient Greece or Persia. It has a slightly swollen midrib accented with incised lines. The socket is split at the original seam and there are some losses. The blade has what appears to be ancient battle damage, making this quite a unique piece for any collection. The overall length is roughly 18 cm and the weight is 130 grams.

An attractive very honest pottery bowl, in a original state for type, basically repaired, Islamic Samenid Dynasty, ca. 10th. century.

The bowl decorated with brown line decoration on white glaze. Old tag from European collection on the side.

Size: 19,5 cm. wide and 7 cm. tall.

Condition: Very fine, assembled from fragments and intact. Completely original crackled glaze, no repainting. See the closeups for the condition of the glaze.

Provenance: Impor...

An attractive unpolished, thinbladed Danish neolithic axe dating to late 4th-early 3rd mill BC.

Very nicely knapping details on the sides and old collection tag - Found at Mols, Jylland.

Size: c. 17,4 cm. in length.

Condition: Good VF, choice axe with a lovely brown patina. a few minor chips.

Provenance: Castle Gardener Peder Søren Petersen (1882–1964). Mainly found between WWI and WWII at Sværdborg mose (eng. marsh) and Køng mose at Southern Z...

A pair of nicely patinated Thinbladed Danish neolithic axes dating to the Singlegrave period, 3rd mill BC.

Lot consist of an unpolished, thinbutted type, and polished thickbutted type. But the smaller size indicates, that they were for a specific purpose in Antiquity, probably for precision wood-working.

Comes with old collection tag on the grey axe.

Sizes: c. 13 - 14 cm in length.

Condition: Nice Very fine, with beautiful patinas. Some minor chips as...

A fine authentic ancient pottery bowl, Islamic, 12th century A.D. (494 AH – 597 AH). Ancient near East.

Cream, blue and black glazed pottery dish on a short foot. The center decorated with faint floral patterns in relief in the manor of the Seljuqs.

Condition: Very fine, a few cracks basically restored. Exceptional silverish iridescence patina that is difficult to picture.

Size: ca. 15,5 cm. wide (diameter)

Ex. Danish Private Collection, from the Lon...

A fine Scandinavian ceramic urn or storage jar, Ironage, 1st. millenium BC.

A nice and massive undecorated jar in black clay with out-swayed rim.

Size: 23 cm. wide and 17,5 cm. tall.

Condition: Exceptional for the often restored types, intact with a few minor chips.

Ex. Danish Private Collection

A very nice triangular stamp seal with a wide base engraved with the image of a Bull, Western Mesopotamia, 4th. mill. BC.

Nice and unusual carving.

Size: 32 cm. wide and 23 mm. tall.

Condition: F-VF, the base of the seal intact, smaller ancient loss to the top.

This seal was aquired in 1992 and comes with hard impression and original ID-card from below collection (see picture).

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

Choice intact Lion Amulet, New Kingdom-late period, 1070-330 BC.

Depicting a crouching lion with large mane in torquise faiance. Superbly detailed for the type.

Size: 26 x 19 mm. long.

Ex Old 1960's-1970s private collection

A nice small type of Danish boatshaped battle axe, from the late battleaxe period, ca. 2400-2000 BC.

A finely made battle axe with great lines and curves, boat-shaped and finely polished. One end blunt to function as a hammer. Very elegant axe.

Size: 9,5 cm. long.

Condition: Perfect condition, some fine patina.

Ex. Danish Collection, comes with COA.

This item comes with a standard export license, when shipped outside Denmark. The license wil...

The large seal of the hemispheric form and probably Parthian or early Sasanian, so like 0-500 AD, could be earlier though.

Done in a fantastic stone type - black with a spiders web of lighter colours. Attractive in hand. The shape of this stamp seal was probably invented by the Neo-Babylonians and continuued to be made in the near east until the end of the Sasanian period. The base is engraved with an unidentified cruciform symbol.

Size: c. 22 mm. wide.

Con...

An very nice earthenware bowl with incised decorations withfloral petals in the center. Beige/white underglaze with green and brown decorative colors in splash design. Bamiyan, c. 12th. century.

High, wide walls on narrow base. Remnants of rim from another bowl in the kiln on the side.

Size: 13,7 x 6,4 cm.

Condition: Choice with fine glaze, hairline crack on the side and a chip to the rim. Smaller losses of glaze.

Provenance: Prominent Danish-French ...

A large Greek amphora handle, Rhodes, c. 3rd.-2nd. century BC.

The handle inscribed with a two line makers name / mark in Greek, fully readable.

Size: 10 cm. long and substantial.

Ex. Old European collection.

A very attractive stamp seal in a red brown glossy stone and a small perforated handle, Mesopotamia Uruk period, probably 3rd. millenium BC.

Finely engraved in the base with several animals!

Size: 24 mm. wide (diameter) and 14 mm. tall.

This seal comes with hard impression and original ID-card from below collection, see pictures.

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

A very attractive and fine condition gilt Laten spoon, English c. 1600.

Acorn top and having a wire ‘gulley’ down the flat and bevelled tapering stem and a round touchmark in the oval bowl with three crossed keys for London and the letters of the maker.

Size: 18 cm. long.

Condition: Nice Very fine, fine patina with remaining gilt and tin or silver.

Provenance: Private Collection of Bjørn De Roepstorff, an important Danish castle / mansion collecti...

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 massive / thick early cylinder seal in 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...

A rectagular bifacial stamp seal with a large handle in a black serpentine stone. The seal is carved with an impression of an animal in the handle as well as a larger depiction in the base of a deity standing on the back of a four-legged animal. Unidentified objects on either side of the deity, perhaps symbolizing weapons. Northern Mesopotamia, and probably later 2nd. millenium BC.

Size: 21-22 mm. long x 18 mm. wide, c. 16 mm. tall.

Condition: Good Very fine, completely...

A nicely decorated Indus Valley pottery beaker or cup, dating to c. 3rd mill. BC. Probably Mehrgarh-civilisation.

The vessel with high walls on a narrow base, painted zoomorphic motif of a cow and some geometrical patterns.

Size is 9,5 x 10 cm.

Condition: Choice for age and type. Intact with a few smaller chips.

Ex. Danish Private collection.

Interesting stamp seal in white stone, Egyptian inspired style of the western Mesopotamia, c. 2nd. mill. BC.

A round white stone seal with a fine quality engraving in a fine Egyptianized style of Syria, 2nd. millenium BC. The seal depicts a Vulture on top of a reclining horned animal, probably a bull, and a snake in between.

Size: c. 19 mm. tall and 14 mm. wide.

Condition: Very fine, very sharp imprint, Top of handle with loop lost in antiquity.

This...

The dagger with high shoulders, short tang and the blade with diamond cross-section.

The dagger is very attractive with a very beautyful patina.

Size: 250 mm - 9,8 inches.

Condition: Choice, with fine metal.