A heavily encrusted Persian or Greek period bronze jar, dating to later 1st. millennium BC. The jar is very nicely made with a low hemispheric body and a neck, separated  More »

A heavily encrusted Persian or Greek period bronze jar, dating to later 1st. millennium BC. The jar is very nicely made with a low hemispheric body and a neck, separated from the body with a raised concenthric band. There's also incised decoration on the body. The vessel stands on a flat base. Interestingly, this vessel was once reinforced in antiquity with small plates. This was a valuable item in the household in antiquity, thus it was repaired! Size: c.100 mm x 90 mm. Condition: Nice and completely uncleaned state!. Wonderful sea-green patina with much earthern encrustations.   « Less

A fine stamp seal, carved in red carneol with veins, dating late Urum/early Jemdet Nasr period 3300-2900 BC. The seal is pierced horizontally, the base with square divided  More »

A fine stamp seal, carved in red carneol with veins, dating late Urum/early Jemdet Nasr period 3300-2900 BC. The seal is pierced horizontally, the base with square divided pattern. Exceptional quality stone and carving for the period. Very detailed. Size. 16-17 mm. Condition: Choice!   « Less

Rare and extremely large Babylonian cylinder seal in black limestone, dating to Early dynastic period 3000-2700 BC. Size: 47 mm. The seal deoicts two rows of horned  More »

Rare and extremely large Babylonian cylinder seal in black limestone, dating to Early dynastic period 3000-2700 BC. Size: 47 mm. The seal deoicts two rows of horned quadropeds and a symbol, that looks like a human eye or a female symbol for fertility (?). Provenance: Erik Rasmussen Collection (published in his book 'The cylinder seal as an object d'art' p. 46. The seal originates from the Erlenmeyer Collection (Christies c. 1998)   « 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

Fine decorated Islamic bowl, most possibly Nishapur, dating to the 9th.-10th. cent. AD This bowl is in a very original and decorated with stylized caligraphy and some  More »

Fine decorated Islamic bowl, most possibly Nishapur, dating to the 9th.-10th. cent. AD This bowl is in a very original and decorated with stylized caligraphy and some medallion-like decorations in brown and black on a white background. Size: 258 mm. x c. 80 mm. Condition: Superb! Only very minor Restoration and close to find state!   « Less

A large and very beautiful Nishapur ceramic bowl measuring c. 30 x 11 cm. The bowl dates to 10th. century. It's decorated with a beautiful pattern of Kufic letters and  More »

A large and very beautiful Nishapur ceramic bowl measuring c. 30 x 11 cm. The bowl dates to 10th. century. It's decorated with a beautiful pattern of Kufic letters and symethric floral elements in red and black on a beige-white background. 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.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. Condition: Choice! Some restoring and an area of decolouration as seen in the pictures. Typical for the size, time and period and much original surface.   « Less

Rare early Babylonian stamp seal in a soft white stone, perhaps steatite, dating to the late 4th. millennium BC. The seal is carved in soft white stone and engraved with a  More »

Rare early Babylonian stamp seal in a soft white stone, perhaps steatite, dating to the late 4th. millennium BC. The seal is carved in soft white stone and engraved with a series of dots in a symmetric pattern. A round flat seal with a loop on the backside. Size: 21 mm.   « Less

Rare, Islamic "Wart" Bowl c.7th-8th century A.D. Size: Highly unusual dark glass hemispherical bowl; the whole of the outerface with a covering of protruding "warts".  More »

Rare, Islamic "Wart" Bowl c.7th-8th century A.D. Size: Highly unusual dark glass hemispherical bowl; the whole of the outerface with a covering of protruding "warts". Compare Newark, 233 & 524-526; Yale, 340-42 for flasks of this type.   « Less

Plate, Islamic Saminid Period, w. Kufic Arabic script, Iranian, late 9th–early 10th. Size:

Plate, Islamic Saminid Period, w. Kufic Arabic script, Iranian, late 9th–early 10th. Size:   « Less

Created during the era of the Kings David and Solomon, this simple yet charming vessel exudes an energy of the ages, glowing from within its surface, richly patinated by the  More »

Created during the era of the Kings David and Solomon, this simple yet charming vessel exudes an energy of the ages, glowing from within its surface, richly patinated by the fingerprints of history. Such a vessel would have been a necessity in the ancient world to contain and transport precious oils and unguents. Our imagination is stimulated as we try to picture whose hands might have held this vessel almost three millennia ago. It is plausible that such a jug was used by Samuel to symbolically anoint Saul as the King of Israel. Whatever the secrets of its past, we are aware that it was crafted by ancient hands, held and used by people who lived in a time of religious and political revolution. Although its original contents have long disappeared, the energy of those vanished lives is still contained within this vessel. This jug was once a vital, indispensable part of everyday life in the ancient world. Today, it is even more valuable to our modern lives, not as a container, but as a symbol of the past. This jug holds history inside, it reminds us of the lives, the joys and struggles, the triumphs and defeats, of those who came before us.   « Less