Western Asiatic Stamp Seal Collection

2nd-1st millennium BC
A group of ten stamp seals including four accompanied by typed and signed notes by the late W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham 1970-1993, which state: (140, 66-B) 'Stamp Seal of Brown Stone, 18 x 16.5 x 8.5mm. A seated human or divine figure on a deeply covered chair is raising both hands. Before him is a small table, with an unidentified item on it. This seal comes from Syria or Anatolia, and dates to c. 800-600 B.C. There is some wear and a little damage, but the design is still clear.'; (R-738) 'Stamp Seal of Brown Stone, 14.5 x 10 x 6.5mm. This is a scarab, pierced lengthways, with flat face and much detail of the beetle on the back. The design, enclosed within an oval linear border, shows a standing bird, wearing the Red Crown of Egyptian art, with the wings put one up and one down, and a necklace counterweight hanging down the back. Above it is a lunar crescent, in front of it a lotus bloom above a cobra, and to its right a small circle (derived from an Egyptian script symbol). Underneath it is an eagle in heraldic pose: head sideways at the top, wings spread beneath, tail feathers spread at the bottom, and talons head out also below. This is a Near Eastern scarab, from Syria or Palestine. Dating is not so simple, but a date c. 1500-800 B.C. is the most likely. In any case it is a masterpiece of ancient near Eastern art, taking the bird, lotus, cobra and circle from Egyptian traditions, and the crescent and eagle from Near Eastern traditions. Though small the skill of the artist-craftsman is remarkable, combined with the very good state of preservation.'; (R-124) 'Stamp Seal of Grey/Black Stone, 11 x 15 x 7mm. This is a simple scarab, with only the general shape and two grooves over the top to indicate the beetle. The flat face shows a standing archer in long fringed robe aiming his bow at a lion which stands with head turned backwards and jaws open to look at the archer. This scarab comes from Syria or Palestine and dates to c. 1000-600 B.C. It is a rare type, and in good state of preservation.'; (1812) 'Stamp Seal of Fawn Stone, 19 x 17 x 8mm. This is a scaraboid, pierced from the top to bottom, and engraved with a scene of a standing god in long robe with one leg projecting and holding a weapon down in one hand as he holds off a rearing quadruped in the other. This is a seal from Syria or Palestine, c. 800-600 B.C. It belongs to what is often called Phoenician style, and is a fine example, but the design has been scraped out.'; the rest comprising: a brown plano-convex with horse and rider; a brown plano-convex with standing figure, quadruped and calf; a cream plano-convex with gazelle; a black bifacial with radiate sun to one side and figure standing in front of radiate sun to the other side; a cream seal with stylised seated figure and symbols in the field; and a blue glass oval tabular bead. 47 grams total, 15-26mm (1/2-1"). Fine condition. [10]
Provenance
The Signo collection, the property of a West London businessman, formed in the late 1980s-early 1990s; collection numbers 66-B (140), 1209, 1812, 4040, R-124, R-738, R-782, T-209, V-30, V-429, academically researched and catalogued by the late Professor Lambert in the early 1990s.
Footnotes
Dr. Bonewitz notes: 'The items are made from serpentine (3), royal blue glass (2), limestone (5).'