Beschreibung:

NEAR EASTERN AKKADIAN STONE CYLINDER SEAL WITH PRESENTATION SCENE TO GOD ENKI 2400-2200 BC A large reddish brown to black limestone cylinder seal depicting a presentation scene: the god sitting on the left on an angular stool wearing a horned tiara and long flounced robe, raising one hand to three standing figures; in front, the god Enki/Ea (the god of subterranean waters), shown by the streams of water flowing from his body; the gods in front all with horned tiaras and and long robes falling in creases; two gods raising one hand in response to the greeting from Enki/Ea, the last one holding a rod at his waist; a lunar crescent in the sky and a star as the terminal. 52 grams, 41 mm (1 5/8"). Very fine condition but with some wear and a chip to the bottom edge, the design remaining clear. Provenance From an important collection of Classical and Near Eastern seals formed in the late 1970s and early 1980s; the property of a London gentleman, cat. no.26431/72. Literature Accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, and by a museum-quality impression of the seal's design. Footnotes This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz.