OLD BABYLONIAN CYLINDER SEAL WITH SHAMASH AND INSCRIPTION 18th century BC

WESTERN ASIATIC OLD BABYLONIAN CYLINDER SEAL WITH SHAMASH AND INSCRIPTION 18th century BC

A carved black hardstone cylinder seal with three gods and three columns of cuneiform inscription; a contemporary copy with the star for god incorrectly written; cuneiform text: 1. dingir-x-e-SI 2. dumu ba-pa-ar-ší 3. ir ͩnin-si-an-na; accompanied by a section of the old scholarly notes on a collection of 61 seals, typed and unsigned, by W. G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Old Babylonian. c. 1800-1700 B.C. Black stone. Šamaš with raised saw, foot on stool, facing god with mace and Lamma; "vessel" and "ball-staff"; Inscription: "...., son of Suparlu(?), servant of Ninsi'anna.' 12 grams, 26mm (1").

Condition Very fine condition.Condition report [Click to show]

Provenance Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s; collection identification number 14; supplied with a museum-quality impression.

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.