Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Ancient World: Near Eastern (727)

A large and rare stone stamp seal, carved in black basalt with high knobbed handle, Neo-Hittite period, made in the Anatolia/ Levante, late 2nd. millenium BC.

Triangular seal plate, engraved with a larger bull in lovely archaic style and a smaller animal above and crescent below. Finely made knob handle with piercing.

Diameter 25 x 24 mm. height 17 mm.

Condition: Extremely fine for type, only light smooth wear and patina.

Ref...

Large stamp seal in a fine greyish green stone, probably Chlorite, Anatolia / Northern Syria Ubaid period, c. 4th. millenium BC.

The base of the seal is engraved with a fine symethric arrangement, probably showing antlers or something floral. A nice Gable seal type with perfect symethri and sharp lines.

Size: 42 mm. long and 24-25 mm. wide...

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...

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...

A fine and rare late Pre-Dynastic / Late Jemdet Nasr period, Mesopotamian Cylinder seal of translucent Alabaster, early 3rd. millenium BC.

The seal carved highly concave with a fine rendering of centipedes.

Size: 16-17 mm. tall and c. 14 mm...

A lovely high relief Cylinder seal in a greyish brown hard and glossy stone, Mesopotamia, Uruk period, 4th. millenium BC.

OBS! Comes with the original ID card from below collection.

Interesting leafy design that we've seen on much earlier stamps from Halaf-Ubaid.

Size: 22 mm. x 12 mm...

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...

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...

A lovely set of cylinder and stamp seal, mounted as a gold / gilt pendant - ex Oberländer collection, Uruk-Jemdet Nasr, 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

The set includes a high quality Mesopotamian Jemdet Nasr period (3300-2900 BC) brown stone cylinder seal. The seal is finely engraved the 'eye' or circle/rhomboid form - a characteristic and significant design for the Period...

Interesting small lot from closed antiguties shop:

- Persian Islamic bronze handle, c. 16th.-17th. cent.
- Bronze bird finial
- Silver Islamic bird amulet (Both Khorassan)
-Bronze buckle (c. 10th.-13th. cent. AD)

Ex. 'Hafnia Coins & Antiques' inventory from the 1990s.

A nice early cylinder seal in cream stone, Greater Mesopotamia, early 2nd. mill. BC.

Size: 23 mm. long.

Ex. Old German Private Collection.

A fine hardstone cyliner seal, Middle Assyrian Empire, 1363-912 BC.

The seal is carved in a matte-black stone and depicts a hunting scene with the great bending to shoot an arrow against a 4-legged animal, crescent above.

Size: 26-27 mm. tall and 11 mm. thick.

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

Ex. German Private Collection

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 fine thick cylinder seal carved in green-black stone, Old Assyrian Empire, local Levantine provincial style, Early 2nd. millenium BC.

Relatively large and attractive seal engraved with a running man or deity, a horned animal and a palmtree, crescent above.

Size: 23 mm. x 14 mm.

Condition: Extremely fine and intact with deposits and patina.

Ex. German Private Collection

A lovely stamp seal uncleaned and as found, still with dirt in the devices and with uncleaned deposits! Round seal engraved in the base with a Cruciform design and pierced through, Mesopotamian, Late Ubad- Early Uruk period, 4th. millenium BC.

Size: 20 mm.

Condition: Good Very fine, small gauge at the back, othervise intact and with great cleaning potential...

A very impressive large stone seal, Middle Assyrian Empire, 1363-912 BC.

The seal is carved in a superb green-brown stone, very glossy and depicts a human or deity with a Palm-tree and a Goat, crescent above.

Size: 36 mm. tall and 11 mm. thick.

Condition: EF, completely intact with fine patination and micro deposits.

Ex. German Private Collection

A fine and impressive large stoned seal, Middle Assyrian Empire, 1363-912 BC.

The seal carved with a stylized hunting-scene with armed men and animals.

Size: 30 mm. tall and 13 mm. thick.

Condition: EF, completely intact with fine patination and micro deposits.

Ex. German Private Collection

Finely painted and early Indo-persian manuscript depicting a important with elephants and royalty. The other side with text. Finely coloured and gilt in parts!

Size: 24,7 cm x 17 cm.

Ex. Strømberg Antiques, Copenhagen, 1980s.

Finely painted and early Indo-persian manuscript depicting a Price with his Concubine on a golden couch with two female attendants in front of a Palace with a finely lit landscabe behind. The other side with text. Finely coloured and gilt in parts!

Size: 25 cm x 16 cm.

Ex. Strømberg Antiques, Copenhagen, 1980s.

Finely painted and early Indo-persian manuscript depicting a late sunset trip on the river just in front of a fortified city. A powerful man seated on the throne, perhaps a Caliph or Emir, in a horse-headed boat with Concubines and attendants. The other side with text. Finely coloured and gilt in parts!

Size: 21,8 cm x 16 cm.

Ex. Strømberg Antiques, Copenhagen, 1980s.

An interesting gable stamp seal with the Zig-zag engraving that has been interpreted by scolars in seals as an early representation of a Scorpio, Anatolia or Syria, c...

A choice collection of unresearched stamp seals, all with different designs, c. 6th.-3rd. millenium BC.

The small collection includes seals carved in a variety of stones; there's a gable seal from the 4th. millenium, several early rectangular seals with cross patterns, some with grit-patterns and a couple of later stone seals, one with a 'sun' pattern, probably from the Persian hemisphere.

Size: Up to 2 cm.

Condition: Choice! All are basically intact and some w...

Interesting and quite rare light brown stone cylinder seal, Early 3rd. millenium BC.

A beautiful and highly concave cylinder seal carved with long centripeds! The seal dates to the 3rd. milleniun BC - Pre-Early Dynastic. Finely carved and high attractive!

Size: 22 x 16 mm.

Condition: Good Very Fine, basically intact and with a nice ancient patina, very sharp.

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

Lot of three very attractive and massive Sasanian stamp seals in beautiful stones, all with engravings relative to the Gilgamesh myth in low relief, 3th.-6th. cent. AD.

A nice lot that we bundle to safe listing time!

Diameter: 30, 31 and 26 mm.!

Condition: Fine to Very Fine.

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

Interesting stamp seal in a greenish black stone, Anatolia, Neo Hittite states of the late 2nd.-early 1st. millenium BC.

The seal with high pierced handle and oval base, engraved with what appears to be scriptsigns, perhaps Luwian, we're not experts in these.

Size: 22 mm tall and quite massive.

Condition: good Very fine, nicely preserved with fine patina and a sharp imprint.

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

Interesting and massive bronze ring with standing human on the Bezel, Amlash / South Caspian Sea area, c. early 2nd. millenium BC.

An unsually large ring for it's type. Normally these are decorated with applied patterns on a spiral - in this case the ringmaker also found space for a standing human figure with a weapon or a staff in his left hand, likely a mythical figure or a warrior. Lovely red and blue-green patina!

Size: The round bezel measure 27 mm. in diameter and the...

A nice larger terracotta fertility figure of female form, Bajaur (Indus Valley), c. 3000-2500 BC.

A hollow mould-made Indus Valley red terracotta statuette modelled in a stylised manner with applied facial features of birdlike form. Also with applied arms and beasts on the cone-shaped body.

Size: 14,5 cm. tall and 8 cm. wide.

Condition: Very fine for type, a few losses to the applications in antiquity, no modern repairs and with nice patina.

Ex Antiqui...

An unusually large and choice terracotta fertility figure of female form, Bajaur (Indus Valley), c. 3000-2500 BC.

A hollow mould-made Indus Valley red terracotta statuette modelled in a stylised manner with applied facial features of birdlike form. Also with applied arms and beasts on the cone-shaped body.

Size: 20,7 cm. tall and 8,3 cm. wide.

Condition: Choice for type, with a few smaller losses to applikations in antiquity, no modern repairs and with nice patin...

An unusually large and choice terracotta fertility figure of female form, Bajaur (Indus Valley), c. 3000-2500 BC.

A hollow mould-made Indus Valley red terracotta statuette modelled in a stylised manner with applied facial features of birdlike form. Also with applied arms and beasts on the cone-shaped body.

Size: 21 cm. tall and 8 cm. wide.

Condition: Choice for type, almost completely intact minor loss to nose, no modern repairs and with nice patina.

E...

Fine larger figural stone stamp seal of Anatolia or Northern Syria, Ubaid-Uruk period, 4th. millenium BC.

Nice carving in an attractive black serpentine stone, with the typical 'gable' handle, so popular in the Ubaid/Uruk period of Anatolia and Syria.

Size: c. 30 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Very Fine and intact, smooth wear and fine patina.

Comes with the original ID-card from below collection!

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

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 and interesting large ceramic seal, square seal plate with small knob handle at the back and depicting animals within a square dotted border.

Size: c. 6 cm. wide.

Condition: Very fine.

Ex. Danish Private Collection.

One more of the fine large stamp seals from the Oberländer collection. A rare rendering in fine style, Parthia or early Sasanian, 1st.-4th. century AD.

The seal is carved in a beautiful milky-white and agate. The carving shows a seated female, perhaps a woirshipper in fancy cloths.

Size c. 27-28 mm. wide and 22-23 mm. tall.



Condition: Nice Very Fine for type, intact with some wear around the base and drill.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (19...

Seal pendant or amulet, finely carved in a zoomorphic style, as a head of an animal, possibly made to ellude a pigs head, Mesopotamia, Uruk - Jemdet Nasr period, 3500-2900 BC.

A wonderful amulet with refined polished details and a nice archaic grit pattern in the base.

Size: 21-22 mm.

Condition: Extremely fine, highly attractive. Nice patina with deposits.

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

A large and rare stamp seal made in a superbly mottled black and white diorite stone, South Mesopotamia, Late Uruk / Jemdet Nasr period, 3300-2900 BC.

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

Size: 35-36 mm. in diameter, quite large for this fine diorite seal.

Condition: Good Very fine, one ancient chips to the side and fine wear, but basically intact and highly attractive.

Provenance: Gustav Oberlä...

Choice bronze seal of bell shape with loop, post-Hittite Kingdoms, most likely Urartu, 1st. millenium BC.

With a fine and interesting engraving in the base.

Size: 23 mm. tall.

Condition: Nice Very Fine, green and red patina.

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 f...

Interesting bronze stamp seal of square form with loop, Late Hittite Kingdoms, Levantine, 1st. millenium BC.

A very attractive seal with a square base, decorated sides and a fine and interesting engraving in the base.

Size: 24-25 mm. tall.

Condition: Extremely fine for type, lovely dark green patina with light deposits.

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

Interesting bronze seal of bell shape with loop, Late Hittite Kingdoms or Urartu, 1st. millenium BC.

A lovely seal octagonal and with a fine and interesting engraving in the base.

Size: 22 mm. tall.

Condition: Extremely fine for type, lovely dark green and red patina.

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

A fine lot of 5 stone stamp seals of the hemispheric or button-shape in different kind of stones incl. serpentine and chlorite, North/west Mespotamian 5th.-4th. millenium BC.

The seal bases mainly engraved with different cruci- forms, but there's also a much earlier Halaf period seal in this lot.

Size: Up to c. 16-17 mm. in diameters

Condition: Mostly intact and very fine, one seal with a crack, another with smaller losses and wear.

Provenance: Gust...

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.

Condition: All intact.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1...

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. Gustav Oberländer specialized i...

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. tall.

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

Interesting bronze stamp seal, engraved with Lion in the drill style, 9th.-7th. century BC.

A knobbed seal, carved with a vivid Lion in the Neo-Assyrian style but with a likely place of manifacture to the North-East of the Neo-Assyrian Empre.

Size: 19 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...

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. wide.

Condition: Extremely fine, smooth glossy patina with no wear...

A larger and well-engraved Chalchedony stamp seal, Neo-babylonian period of Mesopotamia, 8th.-6th. century BC.

Trapezoid shape, decorated with a fine style image of Marduk, the main god of the early Neo-Babylonian Empire, standing in front of a complicated structure with podiums and towers, crescent above. Complete with suspension hole through the centre.

A beautiful seal with complete brownish calcified surfaces.

Size: ca. 28 mm. tall, 21 mm. wide.

Co...

A highly unusual bronze seal with a 14,3 cm. projecting handle, Bactria, Hindu-Kush area, c. 3rd. millenium BC.

A very rare design of the handle which suggests that it could have been for heating and perhaps marking lifestock?, interesting and with a beautifuly carved star design of the base. First time in stock ever.

Size: Handle is 14,3 cm. long and 2,5 cm. diameter of the star shaped seal.

Condition: Rough Very fine for type with typical uncleaned vivid gre...

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. long

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

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

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. wide.

Condition: Good Very Fine, near perfect condition and fine patina.

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

A 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 carved in a all black stone and with Zig-Zag at the base low drilled handle at the top.

Size: 22 mm. long

Condition: Nice Very Fine, with some fine wear and patina.

Reff. Close parallels to this seal can be found around button seals from the Sialk level III and Tepe Hissar level 1.

Provena...

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...

A fine larger bronze seal with a loop on the back and a strange complicated symbol in the base, Bactria, Rulers of the Hindu Kush, 3rd.-2nd. millenium BC.

Size: c. 30 mm. in diameter.

Condition: Very fine for type with beautiful red and green patina, small ancient chip.

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 ...

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 -...