Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art
Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art
Property from an American Private Collection
A NEO-ASSYRIAN CHALCEDONY CYLINDER SEAL OF MARDUK-ZIR-IDIN, CIRCA 750-700 B.C.
Auction Closed
July 2, 04:42 PM GMT
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from an American Private Collection
A NEO-ASSYRIAN CHALCEDONY CYLINDER SEAL OF MARDUK-ZIR-IDIN, CIRCA 750-700 B.C.
carved in fine detail, one scene with Astral Ishtar standing on a pedestal, armed with a bow and quiver, and wearing a kilt, long pleated robe open in front, and high cylindrical and horned tiara, her starry nimbus surrounding her, the star above her head, a bearded worshiper standing before her and wearing a long robe, his curling hair falling to his shoulders; the other scene with Marduk, Lord of the Gods, in a dramatic striding posture atop a charging winged lion pursuing Tiamat the Sea-Dragon, and about to let loose his arrow at the winged monster, Marduk wearing a kilt and long flounced garment open in front, a sword and sickle at his side , the monster Tiamat striding on top of a mountain and gazing back at Marduk with roaring jaws agape; in the field a winged disk and an inscription beginning with a sign indicating royal rank, and including the name of the scribe, secretary to the chancellor of a sovereign, who used the seal: “Marduk-zir-idin , son of…”; set in a modern gold swivel mount.
3.4 by 1.5 cm.
the missionary William Frederick Williams (d. 1871), acquired between 1851 and 1871, while headquartered in Mosul
his brother Robert S. Williams (1828-1899) , Utica, New York, a founder of the Utica Public Library and Oneida Historical Society, received from the above
by descent through the family to the current owners
Published
Joachim Ménant, “Oriental Cylinders of the Williams Collection”, American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 2, no. 3, 1886, pp. 256-258, and 260, pl. V, no. 8
For closely related cylinder seals compare D. Collon, Catalogue of the Western Asiatic Seals in the British Museum, Cylinder Seals V, Neo Assyrian and Neo Babylonian Periods, London, 2001, pl. XXIV, nos. 232 and 292, and E. Porada, Corpus of Near Eastern Seals in North American Collections, I, The Pierpont Morgan Library Collection, Washington, D.C., 1948, nos. 689E and 690E.
In reference to the present seal (described as "sapphirine chalcedony"), the French orientalist Joachim Ménant wrote (op.cit. p.260) that the "magnificent seal of Marduk-zir-idin is of great rarity: we have examined it with the greatest interest, and have sought to place it in the light it deserves: and in bringing this study to a close we most sincerely congratulate its fortunate owner, who has afforded us the opportunity of examining it."