A masterfully engraved Sassanian seal, dating 300-600 AD. The seal is engraved with a lion with it's mount open. Above inscription. Wonderful stone quality and artful  More »

A masterfully engraved Sassanian seal, dating 300-600 AD. The seal is engraved with a lion with it's mount open. Above inscription. Wonderful stone quality and artful engraving. Size: 17 mm. Condition: Superb!   « Less

Extremely fine large bronze bowl, Persian Empire, later 1st. millennium BC. This bowl is very finely made with perfectly tapering sides and a distinct round base which can  More »

Extremely fine large bronze bowl, Persian Empire, later 1st. millennium BC. This bowl is very finely made with perfectly tapering sides and a distinct round base which can be seen from both sides. The lip is curving slightly inwards. Size: 193 mm. wide and 55 mm. high. A very elegant work of bronze art from the classical period in antiquity and in a fantastic state of preservation!. Condition: Superb Mint! Exceptional dark green patina and very good metal with a relatively high tin content as is typical for the later bronze bowls.   « Less

Rare Aryan / Median bronze bowl, dating to the 1st. millennium BC of Western Asia. A finely hammered and decorated smaller wine cup from the Aryan / Median culture. The  More »

Rare Aryan / Median bronze bowl, dating to the 1st. millennium BC of Western Asia. A finely hammered and decorated smaller wine cup from the Aryan / Median culture. The cup with tappering sides, small base, enforced rim and line decoration. Heavy bronze walls! Condition: Superb, very delicate dark green and red patina - a gem!   « Less

Exceptional Old Babylonian cylinder seal, dating to the first dynasty of Babylon, c. 2000-1700 BC. The seal is carved in a very attractive brownish stone and measure c. 26  More »

Exceptional Old Babylonian cylinder seal, dating to the first dynasty of Babylon, c. 2000-1700 BC. The seal is carved in a very attractive brownish stone and measure c. 26 mm. The scene depicts Ishtar receiving something from a minor deity, she's standing with one foot on a small platform. Ex Swedish private collection - purchased during the 1950s at Viktoria Lindströms Antikhandel, Stockholm. Her business card in the collection together with notes. Ex late 19th. century collection, note the old custom made brass mount with collection number (letter) hand-chiseled. Condition: Superb!   « Less

An exceptional condition ceramic bowl with black and red on creamy white glaze, dating 9th-10th. cent. A.D. Ceramic bowl, Earthenware, engobe, under glaze slip-painted. The  More »

An exceptional condition ceramic bowl with black and red on creamy white glaze, dating 9th-10th. cent. A.D. Ceramic bowl, Earthenware, engobe, under glaze slip-painted. The glaze is a complete mulitude of small crackles. Bowls including bold black inscriptions in the so-called kufic angular calligraphy were produced in the important ceramic centers of Nishapur in eastern Iran. The text often contains a proverb in Arabic or a series of wishes. This bowl, which was used to serve food, is one of the most accomplished works of the type, with artistic calligraphy. The bowl represents the first revival of the traditional art due to the rise of the native Islamic dynasty of the Samanids. A most important bowl that shows the true glory of the simple artful style that owes much to the Sassanian art and to the earlier cultures of the Iran. Size: 320 mm. wide and c. 115 mm. high. Condition: Choice! Minor restoration for type and period, much original surface.   « Less

A rare, high quality Achaemenid bronze bowl, dating 6th.-4th. century BC. The bowl has an advanced beautiful shape with curving sides, slightly inwards below the rim where  More »

A rare, high quality Achaemenid bronze bowl, dating 6th.-4th. century BC. The bowl has an advanced beautiful shape with curving sides, slightly inwards below the rim where it's finely decorated with horisontical lines. Flat base. Size: c. 136 mm. wide and c. 60 mm. high. A large and very beautiful bronze bowl! Condition: Superb! Some earthern and green encrustions is left from gentle cleaning, which can be easily removed.   « Less

Huge and extremely rare serving tray or plate, Iran. Nishapur, 9th.-10th. cent. AD. The tray, measuring 35 cm, was made during the Samanid dynasty of Nishapur, 892-999  More »

Huge and extremely rare serving tray or plate, Iran. Nishapur, 9th.-10th. cent. AD. The tray, measuring 35 cm, was made during the Samanid dynasty of Nishapur, 892-999 A.D. Earthenware. Outstanding artful decoration in black and red Kufic caligraphy on a white basis glaze. The tray stands on three short legs, which makes it very rare, especially in the size! Condition: Choice! A few limited areas of restoration, early Islamic ceramics of this type and size are always restored to some degree. But in any case nice preservation for the type of item and period! Note the crackles everywhere on this tray - much untouched ancient surface.   « Less

A nice Middle Elamite terracotta goddess, standing with her hands cupping her breasts, wearing earrings, bracelets, necklaces shoulder-straps with a star pendant etc. Size is  More »

A nice Middle Elamite terracotta goddess, standing with her hands cupping her breasts, wearing earrings, bracelets, necklaces shoulder-straps with a star pendant etc. Size is c. 145 mm. Nice condition. Cf. Sotheby’s, Antiquities, New York, December 17, 1998, lot 443. The terracotta figurines are considered to be among the most original of Susa’s artistic expressions. In successive phases over a period of about three millennia, the inhabitants of the Susiana plain fashioned the clay they found beneath their feet into animal and human forms, first by hand and later by using molds. By the latter means they bestowed upon their figurines, a great variety of ornaments, such as elaborate earrings, diadems, necklaces (some times bearing star pendants) and anklets, and ring bone shoulder-straps, as in the present examples. These were produced outside the realm of official commissions, although some of the cast examples were made by skilled craftsman and are of very high quality. These small figures were intended for private individuals and their inspiration. Objects of this type are chiefly of interest for what they reveal about Susians’ daily preoccupations and the evolution of their mode of thought. It should be noted that a great majority of Susian figurines demonstrate a complete independence from Mesopotamian production, except in times when Susa was under Akkadian or Babylonian rule.   « Less

A rare Persian empire bronze dish or Phiale, dating to 600-400 BC. The Phiale measure some 175 mm in diameter. Condition: Nice! Repaired crack. Otherwise uncleaned as  More »

A rare Persian empire bronze dish or Phiale, dating to 600-400 BC. The Phiale measure some 175 mm in diameter. Condition: Nice! Repaired crack. Otherwise uncleaned as found with a fine ancient patination.   « Less

An outstanding and quite exceptional Bactrian bronze bowl, dating to the 200BC-200AD. The bowl is typical for the late Greek, early Roman period in Bactria, and is  More »

An outstanding and quite exceptional Bactrian bronze bowl, dating to the 200BC-200AD. The bowl is typical for the late Greek, early Roman period in Bactria, and is possibly of Kushan worksmanship. Note the very clear engravings in a broad sector near the rim. A high quality hammered ancient bronze bowl with a marvelous patina! Size: c. 130 mm. x 70 mm. Condition: Superb! - Dark green patina with many blood-red speckles.   « Less