Sumerian Necklace w/ Stamps, Cylinder Seals, Votives

Ancient Near East, Egyptian, and Bactrian (see below), ca. 3rd to 1st millennium BCE. A incredible necklace composed of fourteen stone seal stamps, cylinder seals, and animal votives, each interspersed with delicate gold and turquoise beads, the latter from Bactria, dating to ca. 2000 BCE. The gold ranges in purity from 60-75% (15-18K). Size of largest pendant: 1.3" W (3.3 cm); necklace is: 27" L (68.6 cm)

Each of these is unique. Starting from the one to the right (facing) of the central pendant: Egypt, ca. 1800 BCE, an abstract black stone votive; Egypt, ca. 2500 to 2200 BCE, a miniature black stone seated lion; Assyria, ca. 1500 to 1200 BCE, a dark red stone cylinder seal featuring a man and an ibex; Sumeria, ca. 2500 to 2000 BCE, a translucent lavender stamp seal with an abstract motif of what looks like a person before a tall altar; Early Sumeria, ca. 3000 to 2500 BCE, a cream-colored stone cylinder seal with a series of people and ibexes; Assyria, ca. 1100 to 900 BCE, a matte red stamp seal with a griffin; Assyria, ca. 1100 to 900 BCE, a pale brown stone cylinder seal with a complex astronomical motif; Assyria, ca. 1100 to 900 BCE, a pale brown colored stamp seal with an avian motif; Sumeria, ca. 2500 to 2000 BCE, a rare black stone rectangular seal featuring anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs on each side; Sumeria or Assyria, ca. 2500 to 1200 BCE, a triangular pale brown stone stamp seal with a griffin; Early Sumeria, ca. 3000 to 2500 BCE, a dark green stone cylinder seal with repeated standing human figures; Egypt, ca. 2600 to 2200 BCE, a white quartz lion votive; Egypt, ca. 2600 to 2200 BCE, an excellently shaped shiny black stone fashioned into a bull's head. At the center of the necklace, serving as its made pendant, is a large, disc-shaped seal from Bactria, found near modern day northern Afghanistan, dating to ca. 2200 BCE, engraved on one side with the "master of animals" motif popular in ancient western Asia, and engraved on the other with an abstract, spoked wheel-like motif. This is an incredible collection gathered together and made wearable, a must for a fan of the ancient world and eye-catching jewelry!

Provenance: ex-private Lees collection, received as a gift more than 20 years ago

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#148845
Condition Report: All beads are ancient and have been restrung in modern times. Beads, seals, and votives all have some light wear commensurate with age but overall are in very nice condition. Accompanied by clay impressions of all the seals/stamps.