Ancient Sumerian cream stone cylinder seal Jemdet Nasr Uruk period (3200-2900 BC) Early Dynastic Period.
CONDITION: chipped on the side.
MEASUREMENTS: Diameter: 12 mm x 7 mm...

Ancient Sumerian cream stone cylinder seal Jemdet Nasr Uruk period (3200-2900 BC) Early Dynastic Period.
CONDITION: chipped on the side.
MEASUREMENTS: Diameter 16 mm x 8 mm...

A larger early square stamp seal in brown Serpentine, Mesopotamia, Early 3rd. millenium BC.

An attractive seal drilled to be mounted to a string and engraved with astylized figure.

Size: 27 mm. x 24 mm.

Provenance: Part of the inventory of the Coin and antiquities dealer Karl kress, Munich, 1950s.-1960s.

SPLENDID ANCIENT BEADS NECKLACE
SUMERIAN, MESOPOTAMIA, 2000 BC

Length: 45 cm

The necklace is featuring gold and carnelian beads in different shapes.

Carnelian was thought to cause the blood to circulate smoothly throughout the body. It was believed to make the skin healthy and youthful, removing sores and blemishes when worn. Because of its calming effects on the blood, carnelian also makes one feel peaceful and slow to anger...

A highly interesting and beautiful Redstone (Jasper?) Scaraboid, Levantine / Holyland, 1st. millenium BC.

This seal predates the Greco-Persian period of Scaraboids and was made during the Neo-Assyrian period, ca. 10th.-8th. century BC.

The seal is engraved with a complicated pattern, like multible Swaztikas or perhaps a scetched bird (?). Very sharp and attractive engraving

Size: 16 mm.

Ex R.T. Private collection, since 1958 in Münich, Germany.

A centerpiece agate stone bead from over a thousand year

An exceptional and rare collection of Carnelian beads, stringed as a Necklace, Asia Near East, ca. 2nd. mill. BC BC.

The necklace strung with a large number of beautiful flat and some fewer hemispheric beads, each very precious and with a larger central hanger. Very colourful and wearable.

Length: ca. 46 cm. in a single row, 23 cm. in a double row.

Condition: Choice, a perfect selection...

This large disk-shaped ritual object from central Asia - the Bactrian-Margiana Archaeological Complex - is made of marble. Dated in the 3rd to 2nd millennium century BC, it has a smooth, curved-in side, and the concave surface of the face is well-polished. The abstract vein pattern in the marble offers colours of pink-purple, beige, and grey. The use of this kind of object is still uncertain. Some believe these are purely ritual objects...

Alabaster amulet finely carved to represent a falcon with a tiger head protruding from its tail. Two holes on top of the falcon wings allow attachment to a necklace. Mesopotamia, ca. 2000 B.C. Height: 7.5 cm. Old accident on its top, restored since, slight abrasion, otherwise very good condition

Rare Anatolian (costal region) stone seal with handle and a depiction of a Ram or Goat, Neo-Hittite States, 1st. millenium BC.

Finely carved seal with an elaborate handle and some great details. The Goat is a symbol or personification of the storm god in the Hititte Pantheon.

Height 16 mm., the square seal-plate, 17,5 x 16,5 mm.

Condition: Superb.

Ex. Important German Collection (Berlin), collected from the 1980s and onwards...

A beautiful and rare stone stamp seal, carved in black serpentine with a high handle, Western Asia, Neo-Hittite states, c. 1000-700 BC

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

Diameter: 20 x 20 mm. height 12,5 mm.

Condition: Superb.

Ex. German Collection (Berlin), collected from the 1980s and onwards.

Reff...

A scarce Sumerian stamp seal in greenish black stone, Mesopotamia, ca. 4th. millenium BC.

The seal predynastic and very interesting in that it has a double image of animals and a labyrint.

Size: 28 mm. long and 19 mm. wide.

Condition: Choice, fine patina and wear but intact.

Ex. German Collection (Berlin), collected from the 1980s and onwards.

Comes with collectors own notes and photos mounted on filt with a hard wax impression.

Very large and impressive early Dynastic or pre-dynastic stamp seal, Mesopotamia, ca...

A very fine lot of four larger stamp seals in superb stones (Banded carnelian, Calchedony), Sassanian, 3rd.-6th. century AD.

The lot includes different motifs on 4 nicely polished elipsoid seals.

Size: 21-23 mm. wide.

Condition: Choice and intact, finely patinated.

Ex. Egeskov Collection, an important and rare collection of Sassanian seals, handpicked over 30 years of collecting.

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. ...

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...

Marple stone stamp seal, Anatolian / Levantine, late 2nd. mill. BC.

The seal of a pyramidal form, pierced through in the top and engraved on the face with the image of a Stagg or antilope with large horns within a frame.

Size: ca. 14 mm. tall

Condition: Choice and intact.

Ex. German Collection (Berlin), collected from the 1980s and onwards. Comes with collectors own notes and photos mounted on filt with a hard wax impression.

Fine seal carved in Quartz-Diorite, engraved with winged animal, likely a Griffin, on the base, Neo-Assyrian, 9th-6th. century BC.

Very attractive stone carved in a pyramidal shape with small piercing at the top. The use of diorite in art was most important among very early Middle Eastern civilizations such as Ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, and Sumer. It was so valued in early times that the first great Mesopotamian empire—the Empire of Sargon of Akkad—listed the taking of dio...

A beautiful and very scarce stamp seal, scaraboid shape, Neo-Babylonian, ca. 8th.-6th. century BC.

The seal superbly polished in a multi-layered banded agate stone. On the base carved with a winged beast.

Size: 18 mm.

Condition: Choice!, signs of much ancient use with wear around the edges of the horisontical piercing.

Ex. Egeskov Private Collection, ex Senatus Consulto, 2003, formerly in a German Private Collection 1970-1989.

Gandhara stone panel with the Buddha and an attendant in the lower frame. The partially preserved Buddha is seated on a pedestal in the dhyana mudhra gesture. He is dressed in Gandharan style and showing a wavy hairstyle topped with the raised ushnisha.
On the left a man in daring contrapposto and exaggeratedly turned upper body. The attendant is wearing a long garment and holding what could be a tambourine or an offering.
The top adorned with an acanthus leaf design and a semicirc...

Important collection of 11 stone axes and tools, Egyptian, 4th. millenium BC.

A selection of different tools in Basalt, Jasper, Gneist and perhaps Jadeite, mainly small axe shapes for grinding spices and cosmetics. Lot also include a wonderful fully polished fragment of a cosmetic palette.

A gem collection with some beautiful colours!

Sizes: 2,3 - 4,3 cm.

Condition: Mostly intact with a few with smaller nicks.

Ex Collection of Karl Jakob MÃ...

A set of two stamp seals with animal and Nisa Emblem, Sassanian, 4th.-6th. century AD

Beautiful Hemaetite stones used.

Size: ca. 14 mm. and 12 mm in diameter.

Condition: Choice, light chips to the emblem seal.

Ex. Austrian private Collection, ca. 1970.

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 massive ancient Chlorite stone Chalice with handle, Intercultural style of ancient near East / Bactria, 3rd. millenium BC.

The vessel carved in a massive chlorite stone with thick walls and high stemmed foot. It has a large handle going from the top to the foot and with a nsculptured rams head at the top. The vessel is decorated with palm trees with small Scorpios on them. Scorpios and snakes are often seen on Southern Kerman and Bactrian stone carvings in the 3rd. millenium, with s...

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

A very interesting and rare Scaraboid seal of the Phoenician type, ca. 800-600 BC.

The seal of perfect high scaraboid shape with a low relief stamp of a war elephant engraved in the seal plate. Horisontically pierced for mounting. Extremely rare shiny greenstone used, perhaps a Fluorite, semi-transperant with cloudy green inclusions. Finely patinated and weathered.

Size: 15 x 13 x 10 mm.

Condition: Choice.

Ex. Danish Private Collection

A rare and lovely Scaraboid stamp seal in a pink stone, Assyrian, ca. 12th.-10th. century AD.

The shape emulates the Egyptian scarabs from the period, but made in a rare pink hardstone and with a typical later Assyrian stylized design of the seal plate.

Size: 15 mm.

Condition: Superb for type, very hard stone.

Ex. Danish Private Collection

The seal is carved in rock-crystal and is very attractive, Sasanian, ca. 3rd.-6th. century AD.

The base of this hemispheric seal is engraved with a firealter that gives a very high relief impression in wax.

Size: 16 mm. wide.

Condition: Very fine and intact.

Ex. Danish Private Collection

A wonderful small collection of 10 handpicked superb larger quartz beads, Greco-Bactrian Empire, ca. 2nd. cent. BC-1st. AD.

Interesting and rare selection of 10 beads from Bactria, Balkh Area, made during the Greco-Bactrian Empire and with remnants of later dying in Cobalt and torquise during the Islamic Dynasties, 9th.-10th. century AD.

These types of beads are expertly carved in the very hard Quartz material, with rating of 7+ on the hardness scale for semi-precious sto...

Lot of 6 handpicked superb larger quartz beads, Greco-Bactrian Empire, ca. 2nd. cent. BC-1st. AD.

Interesting beads from Bactria, Balkh Area, made during the Greco-Bactrian Empire and with remnants of later dying in Cobalt and torquise during the Islamic Dynasties, 9th.-10th. century AD.

These types of beads are expertly carved in the very hard Quartz material, with rating of 7+ on the hardness scale for semi-precious stones with panels/faceted. These beads were once classi...

A wonderful old Mesopotamian / Sumerian Cylinder seal, 4th.-early 3rd. mill. BC.

A vividly carved seal in high relief (shaped like an hour glass), engraved with stylized animals, pre-dynastic very early seal.

Size: 19-20 cm. tall and 14 mm. wide.

Ex. German Private Collection

Highly interesting collectors lot of three different types of stamp seals, Anatolia, 3rd.-1st. millenium BC.

The lot includes a scarce 2nd. millenium Hittite type of 4-side stamp with 4 different impressions of humans and plants, a triangular seal with a knob handle and engraved with a floral pattern and lastly, a cone-shaped seal with round base engraved with scriptssigns(?). All carved in black serpentine.

Interesting lot for study.

Condition: Choice, two sea...

A large and very nicely carved stamp seal in black stone, Anatolia/Levante, 2nd. millenium BC.

Lovely engravings of a horned bull attacked by a Lion on one side and on the other side, an impressive winged Goat, with small bearded human head above.

Interesting and very rare!

Size: 3,4 cm. in diameter and ca. 1 cm. thick.

Condition: Very fine and basically intact with central piercing at a later time and some flaking.

Ex German Collection...

Interesting seal carved in a hard black stone, likely Serpentine with a handle, 4th.-2nd. millenium BC.

The seal in engraved with what looks like ancient scriptsigns, but it needs further research.

Size: 25 mm.

Condition: Very fine and intact with nice ancient wear overall.

Ex German Collection from Hessen, aquired before 1970.

A very nice assortment of Ancient Near Eastern cylinder seals, Mesopotamia, ca. 2200-1800 BC.

The selection consists of three Old Babylonian and Isin Larsa types with a worshipper before the throne of Ea, along with provincial types. They are carved in different types of hardstones

The largest seal measure 28 mm. and the smallest ca. 15 mm.

Condition: Largest intact group with some wear, the larger seal with chips.

Ex. Old German and US Collections, ...

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

Important large stamp seal made in pale green calcite, South Mesopotamia, Late Uruk / Jemdet nasr period, 3300-2900 BC.

Hemispheric seal with a wonderful free carving in a drill style of birds in a highly attractive and rare stone for the period. Pronounced collar round the ends of the perforations. This particular feature is rarely seen on such a large Uruk seal.

Size: 38 x 33 mm. 16-17 mm. tall.

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

A scarce to rare hemispheric stamp seal with loop at the back, probably Luristan, pre-historic period, 5th.-4th. millenium BC.

The seal of an excellent style in a greenish-black stone, carved with a star radiating from circular border and a central dot / Leaf-shaped pattern.

Diameter: c. 19 mm.

Condition: Nice Very fine, lots of patina, intact.

Comes with the original ID card!

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

A wonderful large stamp seal with stag and perhaps a young stag below, Anatolia, c. 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

A thick seal deeply engraved with a vivid motif in a serpentine stone.

Size: c. 34-35 mm. long.

Condition: Choice VF, some overall wear but completely intact.

Comes with the original ID card!

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

Attractive and impressive large stamp seal, engraved with a standing mufflon, Anatolia, c. 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

A thick seal in a square gable form, deeply engraved with a vivid motif in the black serpentine stone.

Size: c. 31 x 31 mm.

Condition: Choice VF, some overall wear but completely intact.

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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 ...

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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...

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 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...

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...