A fine large cylinder seal of the early Jemdet Nasr barrel shaped design, Mesopotamia, 3300-2900 BC. The seal is carved in a hard and dense material either a marple type or perhaps shell (?).

Seal very large for the period and craved with a fine grit-pattern and concenthric lines at each end. A string-carved round line at one side would have been made in antiquity.

Size: 31 mm. tall and 20 mm. thick...

Interesting stoneage artifact, probably a massive weight of sorts or alternatively, a mace-like weapon.

It's shape is oval, almost like a melon, and it's made in a light grey granite stone. It has 4 symethric ridges for some kind of binding, but we're not certain of it's usage - you're welcome to e-mail if you have seen this artifact before / have got a litterary refference for it...

Amuletic figure of the canine god Wepwawet depicted on the bar of a standard. The front of the sledge is curved like a billowing sail and integrates a couple of rearing uraeus cobras.
The jackal wears a dog collar, the suspension loop behind is partially preserved. This small example was intended as a protective amulet.
For a related example, cf. acc. no...

Hand-modeled bowl of hemispherical body with a single handle at the rim. The base rounded.
The burnished surface with a red-brown slip and purple-red bands of wavy lines that form a cross on both the inner and outer surface. Purple-red lines on the handle.
For a related example, cf. British Museum database no. 1884,1210.103.
Ceramic
Middle Cypriot ,1850 BC-1550 BC
D. 15.4 cm (6.1 in)
W. over handle 18.4 cm (7.2 in)
H...

A very attractive and scarce Tabloid seal, Northern Mesopotamia, c. later 4th. millenium BC.

The serpentine seal engraved with cruciform and stylized scorpio pattern. Fine thick drill.

Size: 20 x 17 mm...

A larger hemispheric stone seal with a dome and elaborate line below the drilling on the top, Mesopotamian, Uruk period c. 4000-3000 BC.

The seal is carved with a later version of the archaic 'grit' pattern, where it looks like horisontical script-lines. Very nicely made in an attractive and very hard green-black stone.

Size: 28 mm. in diameter, 14-15 mm...

A larger serpentine stone stamp seal of the gable type, Ubaid period of Anatolia and Syria, c. 4th. millenium BC.

Recent research clearly indicates that highly advanced city cultures allready existed in the Ubaid period of Anatolia and Syria in the early 4th. millenium BC and perhaps even before that. This predates the Mesopotamian Uruk period, so it's a question who inspired who?.

Nice seal in hand engraved with a horned animal.

Size: 35 mm. long and 23 mm...

Impressive red stone Jasper Gable seal, Greater Mesopotamia,, probably a Levantine workshop, 4th. millenium BC.

A nice depiction of either a hering pattern or a stylized scorpio?

Size: 33 mm. long.

Condition: Near Very Fine, some minor losses to edges.

Comes with original Id card.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection between 1985 - 2000s, bought at reputable dealers and from ol...

A large and fine archaic style serpentine stone stamp seal of the gable type, Ubaid period of Anatolia and Syria, c. 4th. millenium BC.

Recent research clearly indicates that highly advanced city cultures allready existed in the Ubaid period of Anatolia and Syria in the early 4th. millenium BC and perhaps even before that. This predates the Mesopotamian Uruk period, so it's a question who inspired who?.

Lovely scarce seal, sharply engraved with a stylized scorpion.

Interesting conoid shaped stamp seal in black stone, probably serpentine, engraved on the base with a deer with large antlers and on the upperside with unidentified engravings. Greater Mesopotamia area and porabably from the Ubaid/Urum period 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

Super nice stylized engraving of the deer! There's certainly some engravings on the upperside as well but uncleaned and unresearched.

Size: 255 mm. in diameter and c. 18 mm. tall.

Condition: Good Ve...

A large and rare stone stamp seal, carved in black basalt with high knobbed handle, Neo-Hittite period, made in the Anatolia/ Levante, late 2nd. millenium BC.

Triangular seal plate, engraved with a larger bull in lovely archaic style and a smaller animal above and crescent below. Finely made knob handle with piercing.

Diameter 25 x 24 mm. height 17 mm.

Condition: Extremely fine for type, only light smooth wear and patina.

Ref. see the Ashmolean collect...

Large stamp seal in a fine greyish green stone, probably Chlorite, Anatolia / Northern Syria Ubaid period, c. 4th. millenium BC.

The base of the seal is engraved with a fine symethric arrangement, probably showing antlers or something floral. A nice Gable seal type with perfect symethri and sharp lines.

Size: 42 mm. long and 24-25 mm. wide. Unusually large and thus attractive

Condition: Extremely fine, smooth glossy patina with no wear or damage.

This...

Interesting huge seal from the Oberländer collection. It was described as unidentified and probably ceramic, but to us it looks like Limestone, but we're not certain. Ancient Pre-colombian or Western Asian? There were no other precolumbian items in the collection.

It's sold as guaranteed ancient and 800+ years old.

Size: 38 mm tall and 27 mm. thick!

Condition: Very fine, with overall wear and few chips.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Ob...

Interesting huge seal from the Oberländer collection. It was described as unidentified and probably ceramic, but to us it looks like Limestone, but we're not certain. At first glance it looks like a Pre-Columbian seal, but details doesn't compute and there were no Pre-Columbian seals in the collection, so it could be from Mesopotamia / Western Asia, we're not certain.

It's sold as guaranteed ancient and 800+ years old.

Size: 35 mm tall and 36 mm. thick!

Conditi...

A slim early cylinder seal in fine-corned white marple, carved with a characteristic and significant design for the Period of Jemdet Nasr in Mesopotamia.

The Jemdet Nassr Period in seal manifacturing,3300-2900 BC, were spreading from Southern Mesopotamia, where a great number of administrative cuneiform tablets and seals came from. Such seals was used to impress pictures or descriptions into soft, prepared clay. These seals guaranteed the authenticity of marked ownership: as such, the...

A fine and rare late Pre-Dynastic / Late Jemdet Nasr period, Mesopotamian Cylinder seal of translucent Alabaster, early 3rd. millenium BC.

The seal carved highly concave with a fine rendering of centipedes.

Size: 16-17 mm. tall and c. 14 mm. thick.

Condition: Extremely fine, intact

OBS! Comes with the original ID card from below collection.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and important collection...

A lovely high relief Cylinder seal in a greyish brown hard and glossy stone, Mesopotamia, Uruk period, 4th. millenium BC.

OBS! Comes with the original ID card from below collection.

Interesting leafy design that we've seen on much earlier stamps from Halaf-Ubaid.

Size: 22 mm. x 12 mm.

Condition: Nice Very fine, intact with a few microchips, sharp details.

Provenance: Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012), Oberländer aquired his massive and impor...