Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Ancient World (1239)

Interesting and unusually large decorated bronze tweezer, likely Roman but could be much older, perhaps late bronzeage European.

The tweezer measure 10,8 cm. in lenght and is solidly constructed and finely decorated with lines. Two tiny rivets in the low area. The design is most likely Roman, but the fine execution and the rivets could point to an earlier manifacture date.

Condition: Nice VF, absolutely lovely red-brown patina, but a c. 30% loss at one side.

Ex...

A nice small collection of 19 seal bullae stamped in lead, dating from c. 12th.-14th. century for the oldest up to c. 17th.-18th. century!

Interesting group incl. several with Coat of Arms and perhaps also city stamps.

Size: Up to c. 4,8 cm.

Ex. Hafnia Coins stock, bought in Denmark in the late 1990s. These were priced from €40-€100 each!

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

An exceptional stamp seal in a fine harder greyish green stone, Anatolia / Northern Syria c. 4th. millenium BC...

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...

Large bronze cross pendant in a hollow style with two halfs put together.

Likely Eastern Europe, 12th.-14th. century AD.

Size: c. 38 mm. quite heavy.

Ex. Hafnia Coins stock, bought in Denmark in the late 1990s.

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...