Sumerian Stone Duck Weight

Ancient Near East, Sumer, ca. 3rd to 2nd millennium BCE. A smooth, white stone weight in the form of a seated duck with a long neck turned with head folded over its back. Note the skillful delineation of the eyes and beak. At 4000 years old or more, this weight's sleek minimalistic design was most remarkably carved from a single stone. Size: 1.5" L x .875" W x 1.125" H (3.8 cm x 2.2 cm x 2.9 cm)

Duck weights were used to check the accuracy of payment when exchanging valuables - land, agricultural goods, paying taxes, etc. Weights like this one would be placed on pan scales alongside commodities. Duck weights correspond to local standardized units, known as talents and mina. They were made to be both functional and aesthetically appealing, suggesting that the people who used them valued beauty in everyday objects.

Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York, New York, USA; ex-Arte Primitivo Gallery, New York, New York, USA; ex-private Khabbazi family collection, acquired in 1992

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#157844
Condition Report: Expected surface wear commensurate with age. Minute nick to corner of tail, but otherwise, the form is in tact and strong. Surface graced by earthen deposits. Former collection label on underside.