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THBLarge Sumerian Clay Administrative Tablet
Lot 93c
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$8,000 - $12,000
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Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Feb 21, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-02-21 10:00:00
2019-02-21 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-3858
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (472)
- Lot Description
Ancient Near East, Sumerian, late Ur III period, ca. 22nd to 21st century BCE. A sizable Sumerian clay tablet containing administrative records for the disbursement of different agricultural commodities. The pale-orange rectangular tablet a flat obverse face, planar sides, and a lightly-convex verso. The tablet boasts roughly 120 lines of inscribed cuneiform text across three delineated columns which wrap around the top and bottom sides. The partial translation of this tablet concerns the accounting for quantities of barley distributed to several named individuals, though the names have faded over time. As Sumerian agriculture grew, farmers and traders realized they needed a recording system to track the movements of animals and goods. Cuneiform script is made by impressing a sharpened reed or stick into the still-wet clay just before firing. Cuneiform was generally a pictographic style of writing in its infancy, though it became a more abstract style of letter-based script around the 3rd millennium BCE. Size: 5.3" W x 6.5" H (13.5 cm x 16.5 cm).
A stylistically-similar example with similar agricultural disbursement records hammered for $27,500 at Christie's, New York Antiquities auction (sale 3748, June 4, 2015, lot 102): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/a-sumerian-clay-cuneiform-tablet-third-dynasty-5903826-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5903826&sid=2f206a71-e34d-4c38-a8c3-9f46c3187cdd
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-private California, USA collection, acquired in 1989
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#143811Several large areas of repair along corners and verso, with losses and light adhesive residue along break lines. Minor nicks and abrasions to front, back, and peripheries, with softening to some cuneiform characters, and light encrustations. Nice earthen deposits throughout.Condition
- Shipping Info
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