This is a museum quality example of a very rare word type from the ancient middle East.It has a hollow cast, mushroom shaped pommel and a heavy, crescent shaped guard. The blade is long and heavy with several blood grooves cast into it. There are no signs of repair or restoration to this amazing piece of ancient history. The overall length of this exquisite piece is 55 cm.

A very interesting and extremely rare stamp seal, Mesopotamia, probably 3rd. millenium BC.

Stamp seal carved with a Capride in it's base in the fine archaic style. This seal would original have had carved slots for inserting either enamel, precious hard stones or perhaps even metals, lost now. The paralel for this type of decoration can be found in the figures and bowls from the 3rd...

Pair of very fine specimen of the earliest metal daggers known, BMAC / Indus, Chalcolithic period, 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

Interesting and collectable daggers! Flat, leafshaped blades and very long, twisted tangs.

Size: Up to 171 mm long.

Condition: Good Very fine, choice green patina and great metal.

Ex. Danish private Collection, aquired at the Copenhagen antiques market in the 1990s.

Interesting huge seal from the Oberländer collection. It was described as unidentified and probably ceramic, but to us it looks like Limestone, but we're not certain. At first glance it looks like a Pre-Columbian seal, but details doesn't compute and there were no Pre-Columbian seals in the collection, so it could be from Mesopotamia / Western Asia, we're not certain.

It's sold as guaranteed ancient and 800+ years old.

Size: 35 mm tall and 36 mm...

Highly interesting stone seal carved in an extremely hard jade-like stone (probably nephrite), Anatolia, found at Mersin, c. 2nd.-1st. millenium BC.

Archais symethric grit pattern in the base, the seal itself of a monolithic shape that could look like an animal head. This is dated by Oberländer to the Pre-Historic period, but we believe it to be a later seal, due to the shape of the seal and the very hard stone used.

Size: 20 mm...

A rarely seen scaraboid stamp seal, carved in Onyx stone, Assyrian, ca. 12th. century BC.

Attractive stamp seal carved with the scetchy image of a bull, scarab-shape after Egyptian model of the New Kingdom.

Size: 11 mm.

Condition: Choice, light chips around the horisontical piercing as usual othervise perfect.

Ex. Austrian private Collection, ca. 1970.

A nice pair of Islamic pottery drinking bowls, Nishapur, 11th-12th cent AD.

Nice, smaller drinking bowls with glaze and caligraphic decorations on the interior. On in white glaze, the other with green glaze.

Size: 9 x 2,8 cm & 5,4 x 2,7 cm.

Condition: Choice for age and type. The larger bowl with a hairline crack.

Provenance: Prominent Danish-French Private Estate collection, (aquired 1970- c. 2007) of Islamic pottery ware from the 9th.-12th...

Interesting and unusual small stamp with a beautiful symethric engraving, Post-Hittite states of Western Mesopotamia, c. early 1st. millenium BC.

Size: 11 x 10,5 mm.

Condition: Extremely fine, attractive patinated Hematite.

Added to the Oberländer collection in 2006...

Very attractive thick early geomethric style cylinder seal, carved in marble or another calsite glossy stone, Mesopotamia, Jemdet Nasr period, c. 3300-2900 BC.

Impressive size in hand in a beautiful stone, scarce!

Size: 17 mm tall and 15 mm...

Relief fragment representing Buddha standing beside a column, his right hand holding his robe, his left hand in blessing posture, with a worshipper kneeling in front of him. Grey schist. Graeco-Buddhist art, Gandhara period, 1st to 3rd century. Height: 17 cm. Mounted on a plexi stand. Good condition. Provenance: Christie's Amsterdam auction sale 1993.

Interesting Iconographic type of flat round stamp seal with an emblem or hieroglyphs in the center inside a circle of wedges, Hittite Empire, 16th.-14th.- cent. BC.

Size: 21 mm. wide and 7 mm...

A superb and large specimen of an Old Elamite / Mespotamian type of bronze battle axe, c. early 2nd. mill. BC.

The axe well-modelled, the blade flares outward in a spectacular curve, its edge delineated as a thinner border. Thick socket with two spikes on the back and decorated with concenthric rings. The socket looks like the open mouth of a beast when viewed horisontically.

Size: c. 115 mm. wide and c. 88 mm...

A fine larger stamp seal with a handle in cream stone, made during Hittite expansion in the Hittite style, c. 2nd. millenium BC.

The seal plate is round and depicts a pair of animals and the handle engraved with a drilled male with sword! Probably a warrior.

Size: 26 mm. in diameter and 28 mm. tall.

Condition: Good Very fine.

Comes with the original hard clay impression from below collection. Aquired to the Oberländer collection in 2003.

...

Very attractive thick early geomethric style cylinder seal, carved in marble or another calsite stone, Mesopotamia, Jemdet Nasr period, c. 3300-2900 BC.

Nice substantial piece!

Size: 21 mm tall and 15 mm. thick!

Condition: Nice very fine, intact with minor wear.

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 import...

A very nice and fine condition larger bronze dagger, dating to the 2nd. millenium BC.

Attractive greater Mesopotamian type of dagger with a short tang and two rivets in each top side of the triangular blade with a diamond shaped crossection.

Size: 28,6 cm. long.

Condition: Near Extremely fine for type excellent light green patina and fine metal.

Ex. Danish Private Collection, bought in the Copenhagen antique market in the early 1990s.

With spherical body on short foot, the tubular neck with traces of engravings, the handle with beading and pomegranate thumb-rest, minor dents, hairline crack and a couple of small holes to body, but intact, overall patination to surface.

A substantial and interesting type of early Islamic vessel.

Height: 27,3 cm.

Ex. Reff. See Christies's auction ''Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs and Carpets'', 27 October 2021 / lot 9 for a similar vesse...

Ancient North Mesopotamian or Anatolian stamp seal of a oblong gable stype with rounded top, probably a late 4th.- early 3rd. millenium type of the Uruk period.

Very attractive large seal in smooth dark green chlorite and carved with a lovely style rampant Gazelle or Ibex with super long horns.

Size: 31 x 28 mm.

Condition: Choice Very fine, light wear to the drilled hole from use, othervise intact with attractive smooth patina.

**Comes with hard impr...

Nice high relief blackstone seal from the Early-Dynastic-Arkkadian period.

The seal is engraved with a man lifting his weapon, probably sword besides two fighting ibexes.

Size: 26 mm. tall. and 10 mm wide.

Condition: Nice VF, light wear uncleaned and Oberländers imprint does not do this high relief seal full justice.

This seal was aquired 1990 and comes with hard impression and original ID-card from below collection.

Provenance: Gustav Ober...

Interesting and rare gable seal in a scarce oval form and lovely dark red jasper stone, depicting 4-legged animal, probably feline, Levantine or Anatolian 4th. millenium BC.

A very attractive archaic carving and large for the Jasper stone used.

Size: 30 mm. long and 26 mm wide.

Condition: Very fine, extensive smooth wear but intact.

Comes with the original ID-card from below collection.

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

A nice pair of ancient Near East Bronze javelins / spear points. Likely Neo-Elamite, dating to around 1200-800 BC.

Commonly called 'Luristani' by dealers and collectors. Both with tangs, prominent central midribs. Both have incised criss cross patterns near the bottom of the blades on ones side.

Size: c. 14 & 15,5 cm - c. 5,5-6 inches.

Condition: Choice with some roughness. Nice patinas & good metal.

Ex. Danish Private collection.

This is an exciting little repousse plaque or pendant found in the city of Gilgit. The city of Gilgit was an important hub along the silk road. The image and decor of the piece appears to be Gandharan but as I am not an expert on that particular culture I could be mistaken in my attribution. This piece measures roughly 2 cm square. It is a magnificent piece for any collection of ancient art or jewelry. Please email if you need any further information or photographs.

A nice, polychrome terracotta container, Indus valley / Nal culture, c. 3rd. millenium BC.

Short cylindrical body, short neck with a wide rim. The rim and top of the vessel are decorated with patterns in red and black.

Size: 11,5 x 5,6 cm.

Condition: Choice. Intact bowl with slight wear. Á hairline crack to the vessel.

Ex. Old Danish private Collection, acquired in the 1990s at Copenhagen dealer.

Interesting and very rare pendant or finial of the Hittite period in Anatolia, c. mid 2nd. millenium BC.

The finial shaped with a bull head on top of another bull.

Size: 6 cm. long and 4,5 cm. tall.

Condition: Fine, earthern green patina, somewhat flaking at the edges, but sound enough.

Ex. Hafnia Coins inventory from c. 1990s.

A fine large oval green stone stamp seal of the gable form, popular in Northern Mesopotamia and Anatolia in the Ubaid period, 4th. mill. BC.

The seal shows a stylized image, probably animalistic forms.

Size: 33 mm. wide and 30 mm. tall and 15 mm. thick.

Condition: Nice Very fine, intact with nice even wear and patina from use.

This seal was aquired 1995 and comes with hard impression and original ID-card from below collection.

Provenance: Gu...

A fine early style bronze compartement stamp seal, c. 3rd. mill. BC.

The seal with a fine symethric sun symbol in the base and a twisted rod handle and loop.

Size: 27 mm. wide and 25 mm. tall.

Comes with imprint and COA.

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

A massive and rare excarvated bronze vessel, likely for the storage of liquids, Byzantine, 6th.-9th. century AD.

Horisontically ribbed body and carinated vertically ribbed shoulder with funnel mouth.

Made in solid metal in a fine vase-like shape, with holes for attaching it to chains. A utility vessel, used for containing foods or liquids.

Size: 34-35 cm. wide and around 35,5 cm. tall, weight 4,2 kilograms - a HUGE piece for this early vessel!

Condit...

A beautiful larger hammered silver bowl, Sassanian Empire, 300-600 AD.

Size: ca. 17 cm. wide and 6 cm. tall.

Condition: Choice and intact, toned silver with patches of earthern cuprite encrustations that can be removed.

Ex. US Private Collection

A fine stamp seal in a greenish black serpentine stone, probably Northern Mesopotamia, 5h.-4th. millenium BC.

A very early hemispheric seal with a fine free style engraving of an animal on the face and a loop at the back.

Size: 21-22 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Good Very fine, lovely patina!

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

CLAY FIGURE OF A WORSHIPPER
Mesopotamia; Babylonian, Circa, 1800 B.C.

Clay figure of a standing worshipper wearing a crown-like and a tunic

Measurements:
Height: 12 cm
Width: 3.5 cm
Height on stand: 15 cm

The figure if nicely mounted on a plexi-glass display stand of high quality

ALL ITEMS THAT WE OFFER FOR SALE COME WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY
#727008

Beautiful calchedony stone seal, dating to the Sasanian Empire, 3rd.-6th. century AD.

The stone used for this seal is a lovely smoky-brown and glossy calchedony and the seal is large. It's engraved with the image of a flower, unusually well-defined for the type. Central suspension hole drilled through the center.

Size: 25 mm. in diameter and c. 19 mm. tall.

Condition: Extremely fine, very sharp carving.

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

A large and impressive bronze seal with Zoomorphic handle in the shape of two bird heads, early 1st. mill. BC.

The seal very large - 5 cm. tall and weighing 56 grams. Its cast with two heads and a loop between them. The seal being round and engraved with a single symbol.

Condition: Superb, exceptional red and green patina.

Ex. North German Private Collection from the 1970s-1980s.

This is an exceptional piece of history - a museum-quality bronze axe head from the Luristan region, dating back to the period of 1250-900 BC. The axe head boasts a unique design, featuring a flaring and downward-curved blade accentuated by central and side reliefs. The cylindrical ribbed shaft enhances its aesthetics, and four conical spikes ensure stability. This artifact offers a glimpse into the ancient world and the remarkable craftsmanship of that era.

MEASUREMENTS:

Overall len...

A slim early cylinder seal in fine-corned white marple, carved with a characteristic and significant design for the Period of Jemdet Nasr in Mesopotamia.

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, the...

A lovely intact late neolithic period stamp seal, found in Amung-Ebene / Antioch, and dating around the 4th. mill. BC.

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

Size: 22 mm. in diameter and 11 mm. tall.

Condition: Good Very fine, choice and with fine patina.

This seal was aquired 1994 and comes with hard impression and original ID-card from below collection.

Provenance: Gustav Oberlände...

BRONZE DAGGER WITH A DECORATED HANDLE
BRONZE AGE, PERSIA, 1200 – 800 BC

Beautifully made with remains of limestone inlay on the handle, untouched as found.

This fantastic weapon has survived intact and enjoys a gorgeous green crystalized patina and age related encrustation

Dimensions:
Length: 34.5 cm
Width: 2.5 cm
Height on stand: 32.5 cm

Condition: Intact, not repaired and not restored

Nicely mounted on a customs acrylic “Plexi-g...

A high quality trapezoid stamp seal of the Neo-Babylonian type, 8th.-6th. cent. AD.

unusual and very beatiful stone used to carve this accomplished seal in antiquity. The stone is a banded agate with red inclusions, carved and polished in a an octagonal and pyramidal shape.

The seal engraved with a springing stagg or deer.

Size: 20 mm. tall and 18 mm. wide at the base.

Condition: Choice and intact, minor ancient wear.

Ex. Danish Pivate Co...

This is an ancient bronze short sword from Northwestern Iran. It has a choice, predominantly blue patina mottled with green and red. The lower half of the hilt is basically ovoid in hape with a lappet-flanged area on both broad surfaces. Flanged areas often held inlays of wood or bone but a lappet flange of this type was probably a decoration in and of itself. The upper half of the hilt is also ovoid but with the broad surfaces oriented perpendicular to the lower half. This piece has a bifur...

This specimen is a large bronze dagger or spear from ancient Lebanon. I do not have a specific cultural attribution for it as of yet but often these types get the blanket classification of Luristan. It may also be Marlik. There are some losses to the blade edges but the rest of the piece appears solid and stable with no signs of repair or restoration. It measures right at 32 cm in length and weighs 213 grams.The blade is over a cm thick near the center and a half cm at the tip.

A beautiful and rare stone stamp seal, carved in black serpentine with a high handle, Western Anatolia or Syria, Neo-Hittite States, late 2nd. mill. BC - early 1st. millenium BC.

Triangular seal plate, engraved with a small 4-legged animal reclining on another 4-legged animal with horns, finely made knob handle with piercing and engravings on the top!

Diameter: 18 x 18 mm. height 10,5 mm.

Condition: Superb.

Ex. German Collection (Berlin), collected fro...

An ancient-medieval bronze bowl of the high tin content 'white bronze' type with engravings Gaznavids, dating to c. 10th-11th. century AD.

A massive bowl, likely a food bowl for really large parties. The bowl almost completely covered with fine azurite patina on the exterior and when cleaned would reveal the fine design of incised circles-dots (bulls-eye), likely hexacons as well.

Sizre: 22,2 cm. wide and 8,5 cm. tall.

Condition: Superb for type, exceptional fr...

A fine set of three bronze and copper daggers, East Caspian Sea area, 3rd.-2nd. mill. BC.

The set includes one extremely fine dagger of later fabric, probably 1200-800 BC with a long bend tang.

Size: 177 mm., 173 mm., and 147 mm.

Condition: Choice VF to Extremely fine, uncleaned with sandy deposits.

Ex. Danish private Collection, aquired at the Copenhagen antiques market in the 1990s.

This is a wonderful but plain little copper alloy or bronze axe head from the ancient middle East. Types like this are often associated with either the Amlash or Luristan cultures. This piece has three raised ridges on the socket. It is intact, solid and stable with no repair or restoration. It weighs 230 grams and measures 12.5 cm across. This is a fine example of ancient craftsmanship at a very low price. Don't miss it!!!!

A choice green stone stamp seal with fine archaic engravings of animals in the base, Late Ubaid-Uruk, 4th.-3rd. mill. BC.

Fine knob handle and a round seal plate. The base engraved with a two animals. Scarce early piece!

Size: 21 mm. in diameter and 17 mm. tall.

Condition: Choice Very fine, nice patina with even wear.

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

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

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 lovely intact stone wig of exceptional quality for type, BACTRIA-MARGIANA, late 3RD- early 2ND mill B.C.

Separately-made hair and hat? of brownish chlorite or steatite for the famous composite figures which are often missing the wig / hair actually!

A particularly well-carved hair with a dome or crown and spiral-twisting indicated by grooves. Fine brownish stone.

Size: 32 x 25 x 12 mm.

Ex. Old Danish Private Collection

A very rare tall Mesopotamian cylinder seal made in a fine shell type of material, Djemdet Nasr / early Dynastic cylinder seal with wavy line decor. About 3000 - 2750 BC.

A very attractive seal decorated in low relief with a sort of brocade pattern; our clay did stick a bit, so it would be possible to make a better imprint of this.

Size: 39 mm tall!

Condition: Good Very fine.

This seal comes with hard impression and original ID-card from below collec...

A beautiful stone stamp seal, carved in black serpentine with a high handle, East Anatolia/West Mesopotamia, Neo-Hittite States, late 2nd. mill. BC - early 1st. millenium BC.

Round seal plate, engraved with a 4-legged and winged animal, finely engraved knob handle with piercing!

Diameter: 18 x 13 mm.

Condition: Near Extremely fine, with fine patina.

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

A very attractive stamp seal of the Uruk period of Mesopotamia, carved in a scaraboid / gable form, 3rd. mill. BC.

Substantial seal carved and finely polished in a beautiful diorite hardstone, very popular and scarce in antiquitiy and used extensively by the Egyptians. A black hardstone with white inclusions. The seal in the gable of scaraboid shape and with the preffered carvings of globular patterns of the Uruk period stamp seals of Mesopotamia.

Size: 25 x 24 mm and 10 m...

This exquisite short sword or dagger blade is a stunning example of Bronze Age craftsmanship dating back to 1500-1200 B.C. It was discovered in the North-Western Asiatic region close to the Caspian Sea. The blade is cast in one piece, with a double-edged tapering design that comes together at a pronounced central rib. The blade has a short tang that was used to attach the handle. The use of bronze in crafting this piece is a testament to the exquisite skill and artistry of the ancient artisans w...

Unusual 19th century Persian brass betel box with hinged cover and chiseled designs: the top with equestrian lion hunt, the bottom with a scene of a person with long scimitar slaying a man with several figures and a dog watching, the sides with friezes of various animals: lions, dogs and birds. The scenes must be a reference to some literary story. The box is in great condition, very nice earnest chiseling, the exterior with traces of lime that was part of the betel quids (a mixture of areca nut...

A fine bronze standard finial of the "Master of Animals" type, worked on both sides identically. A tube in anthropomorphic form showing a human with a long nose and jutting ears, grasping the necks of two animals. The center of the figure with a human mask and two protruding cock's heads. Western Iran, Luristan culture, c. 9th-7th century B.C. Provenance: Private Collection, Switzerland. Condition: fine, only slightly bent. With nice patina. Dimension: height: 18.2 cm.

Interesting lot of three amulets, two in stone and one in bronze dating from ca. 2000 BC-1000 AD.

The lot consists of a larger Islamic bronze pendant or amulet, 55 mm. long and another serpentine stone amulet with engraved decoration or writing (Hittite?), ca. 1st. millenium BC and a third amulet in stone, grooved and likely a fertility amulet Anatolia or Mesopotamia, 2nd.-1st. mill BC.

Nice lot that calls for more research!

Ex. German Private Collection

A squat early cylinder seal in cream marble or calsite. The seal is 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 owner...

A very attractive ancient bronze Persian sword from "Bronze Age Persia", dating to around 1200 -800 BC

The sword is beautifully made with a decorated “engraved” handle

Measurements: Length: 57.5 cm - Width: 5.5 cm

The sword is nicely displayed on a plexi-glass stand of high quality

Condition: Good condition

This fantastic weapon has survived Intact and Untouched. It is aerodynamic, and enjoys a gorgeous green and brown patina as well as some age related encrustation

A lovely and rare stamp seal depicting two horned animals mating, West-Mesopotamia, c. 2nd.-1st. mill. BC.

The seal is exceptionally well-carved for the type with a four-side and pierced handle atop of the rectangular base. The stone is even dark green. Rare depiction!

Size: 22 x 19 mm. and 13,5 mm. tall.

Condition: Extremely fine for the type.

Added to the Oberländer collection in 2006. Comes with original ID card from the Oberländer collection and...

Ancient Near Eastern, Gilan 4th-3trd century B.C. Tube glass bead of spindle –shape with onyx-like pattern.

REFERENCES: Similar beads are in the collection of the Institute of Oriental Culture, Tokyo University. Please see the picture of the page attached to the listing.

We will also provide the buyer with photocopies of the pages from the mentioned references together with a certificate of authenticity.

MEASUREMENTS: Length 4 cm (1.57 inches).

Interesting advanced seal in grey steatite carved with an ornate handle and nicely composed round seal base with an animal, Mesopotamia, early-mid 2nd. mill. BC.

Size: 22,5 mm. tall and 20 mm . in diameter of the round base.

A very attractive seal.

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 198...

A fine silver ancient Islamic belt buckle from the earliest fase in the Islamic domination of the world, 7th.-9th. century AD.

A beautiful and perfectly intact belt buckle completely covered in black patina and in solid silver. Fine ornamentation.

Size: ca. 6 cm. long.

Condition: Superb! A partidularly fine specimen with completely black patina.

Ex. Ib Olsen Collection

This remarkable artifact is a bronze sword that dates back to the 14th and 10th century B.C. It was discovered in the North-Western Asiatic-Caspian Sea area and features a finely cast tapering double-edged blade with a median ridge. At the ricasso, there is a raised penannular panel that adds a unique touch to the sword's design. The grip is integral, with flanges to the edges that make it easy to hold, and each face is hollowed to insert a pair of grip scales. Originally, the handle would have ...

A finely patinated bronze intaglio with the depiction of a winged lion or beast, Mesopotamia, probably Achaemenid, c. 1st. mill. BC.

Fine style and attractive.

Size: 17 x 16 mm.

Condition: Nice Very fine.

Comes with imprint and COA.

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