Interesting bronze seal of a cone shape with a small top without drill, Western Mesopotamia / Lake Van area, c. 2nd. mill. BC.

First time in stock for this type with is also decorated on the sides with a figure?.

Size: 19 mm. tall and 16 mm...

An exceptionally larger and thus rare pottery bowl with torquoise glaze, and a finely decorated pattern in black on the interior. Seljug period, 11th.-12th. century.

With silvery iridescence on the surface of both the interior and the exterior. Very beautiful colours. The patina and fine glass-like gloss is difficult to grasp in our pictures but is very visible in hand.

Size: 21-22 cm. in diameter and 10,5 cm. tall.

Condition: Superb for type...

A fantastic and exceptional thick and heavy ancient silver bracelet, Uratian-Achaemenid period, dating 800-500 BC.

A heavy silver armring evolving into a huge spiral, very complicated and beautiful silverwork for the period.

Size: ca. 7,1 cm...

An interesting large terracotta idol figurine of either astarte or a priest´(?), Syro-Hittite, dating to the mid-later period of the 3rd. millenium BC.

The pillar figure with large round eyes with slits and applied details of mouth and beak-like nose. Angular shoulders and a monolithic body with her hands and delineated fingers placed over the breast and a necklace. The figure also wears an interesting conical cap or hat, a rarer feature for these figures.

Size: 15,8 cm...

A rare pottery bowl with white caligraphy on red glaze, Islamic, Samenid Dynasty, ca. 9th.-10th. century.

A beautiful conical bowl decorated with wonderful style Cufic caligraphy and decorations in cream-white glaze on redish ground.

Size: c. 25 cm. wide and c. 9 cm. tall.

Condition: Intact and very fine for the type. Assembled from larger fragments and repainted in the joint areas, very professionally done! Looks unrestored...

A very rare massive bronze mace head, Neo-Assyrian Empire, c. 9th.-8th. cent. BC.

More massive in construction than the typical 2nd.-1st. millenium BC mace heads with the solid socket being 4,5 cm. wide. Assyrian design, where the balance is at the very top of the mace head, which is ending in a wide hexagonal star of flat, sturdy projections. High quality weapon with finely detailed profiles and line engravings.

Size: Diameter of the star shape is 9,2 cm...

A lovely condition pottery bowl with caligraphy, Islamic Samenid Dynasty, ca. 9th.-10th...

A bronze Scythe, Turkmenistan / Caspian Sea Area, bronzeage 2nd.-1st. mill. BC.

Interesting large and very sharp blade, used as a harvesting tool and sometimes as a weapon as well. European bronzeage scythe blades (sicles) are fairly commenly sold on the market whereas sicles from the Near east or western asian bronzeage cultures are very scarce indeed. This specimen is larger than most European blades, whith a highly sharpened blade and a thick slightly bended back of blade.
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Interesting large stamp seal of the conoid type in greenish glass, Achaemenid Empire, c. 7th.-4th. cent. BC.

The seal carved with the great King standing left with weapon and other figures, incl. a winged one.

Size: 19 mm. tall and 18 mm. wide.

Condition: Fine and intact, but with several internal fisures and a small chip. Comes with the original hard clay impression from below collection and ID-Card. Aquired to the Oberländer collection in 1991. Rare.

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.

A beautifully carved sculpture of a lady in an erotic pose, Gandharan, ca. 1st.-5th. century AD.

Clearly inspired by classical greek and roman art. She is holding her longs strands of hair and wearing garments that exposes her naked shoulder and arm. Archictorial piece, impresive size. Some remnants of pinkish pigments still on the surface. Mounted to a metal base.

Size: ca. 32-33 cm. tall and 20,5 cm. wide.

Ex. Pax Romana Gallery, London. From an Oxfordshire Co...

A puzzling piece made in patinated bronze or silver. The alloy is very white, so it could be silver too. Luristan, 1st. millenium BC. The piece is perhaps a horsebit or horse-equipment. It's decorated with two rams heads on each side of a long pole that has two bases.

Size: 12,8 cm. long and 5,5 cm. high. ca. 102 grams

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

Rhyton with a cylindrical shape progressively widening toward its top to give an overall conical aspect. The rython is decorated with two feminine deities figures in relief on both sides, wearing horns and having a posture similar to the one of Osiris statues. The body of the rhyton itself is decorated with superimposed geometric designs in slight relief. The piece is made of bronze, with an encrusted green patina. Mesopotamia, probably Bronze Age, ca. 3000 to 1500 B.C. Height: 11.5 cm. Strong s...

This week I am posting several Bronze Age weapons from the Middle East including a set of 5, very unique, crescent-hilt daggers from the Marlik culture (circa 1000 BC). These all came from the same private collection. For a nearly identical example see "Arms and Armor from Iran" by Manoucher Khorasani p 50 figure 1 and page 53. This specimen appears to have been cleaned partially so I have included a 35X micrograph of an area of the surface showing crystallization common on ancient bronze. The ...

An intact and attractive pottery bowl, 9th.-10th. century AD.

The bowl decorated with stylized caligraphy in green-brown on a beige ground.

Size: 12,8 cm. wide and 5 cm. tall.

Condition: Choice, original glaze, perhaps a chip restored, but difficult to spot.

Provenance: Important Danish-French Private collection, (aquired 1970- c. 2007) of Islamic pottery ware from the 9th.-12th. century. Comes with COA.

10th C. persian (Iran) duel handled red pitcher with flared rim and tapered foot. Condition is quite good with small losses to the rim. Custome secure mounted on a custom base for ease and safe display.
According to several tablets written in Babylon and Ashore calligraphy from 1700 and 5650 BC, we have some instructions about making color and enamel of clay. Also, a brochure about pottery dates back to 1301 is accessible in Kashan.
Kashan is one of the important pottery center...

3 Near Eastern 7-8th c Wound Glass beads slight loss stable wearable. Old Ca estate collection.

A lot of three fine and rare pottery seals, Ancient Near East, likely Egypt, Early Islamic period 7th.-10th. century AD.

The lot includes a very rare depiction of a horned animal with a bird above, and two more depictions of a a building within a 5-rayed star and a floral or medallion shape. Two with loop handles on the back.

Sizes: From ca. 6,5 cm. to 7 cm. in diameter.

Condition: Choice! One seal with handle lost and minor ancient chips to the rim, the two oth...