Beschreibung:

NEAR EASTERN MESOPOTAMIAN CYLINDER SEAL WITH STANDING FEMALES Circa 3000 BC A squat limestone cylinder seal with three vertical panels, each with a standing female, accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Cylinder seal of a black stone, 17 x 18 mm. There are three deep grooves cut vertically in the edge of the stone, thus dividing the engraved surface into three portions. In each is a standing woman, with hair falling in a plait and both arms outstretched out to the groove in front, which serves as the depiction of a standard of a tall stand as seen in more detailed renderings of this motif. The bodies of the women are cut with two big drill-holes for the bodies, a smaller one for the head, and the hair and arms and legs by lines cut by the graver. There is a little surface damage at one point, but the whole design remains in good condition. This is a Jemdet Nasr seal, circa 3000 BC, from Mesopotamia or a nearby area.' 10 grams, 18mm (3/4"). Fine condition. [No Reserve] 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. Footnotes This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined by the late Professor Lambert in the 1980s and many are accompanied by Professor Lambert's own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. It is accompanied by a museum-quality impression of the seal's design.