height circa 35mm. ; weight 16,51gr.
found in south-east Anatolia
grey stone

height circa 71mm. ; weight 29,42gr.
ex. A.v.L. Private collection, since 1962 in Utrecht.
grey stone
intact

Length 45mm. ; weigth 1,36gr.
Very interesting and rare object.
intact

circa 36x25mm ; weight 21,37 gram
Pierced along the entire length, to be able to wear on a cord
Male-headed lion, with long beard and head cover,
lying to the left, surrounded by wedges.

The Akkadian Empire was the first ancient Semitic-speaking empire of Mesopotamia, centered in the city of Akkad And its surrounding region, also called Akkad in ancient Mesopotamia in the Bible. The Bible refers to Akkad in Genesis 10:10, which states that the beginning of Nimrod′s kingdom was in the land of Akkad. Nimrod′s historical identity is unknown, but some have compared him with the legendary Gilgamesh, founder of Uruk. The empire united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule. The Akkadian Empire exercised influence across Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Anatolia, sending military expeditions as far south as Dilmun and Magan (modern Bahrain and Oman) in the Arabian Peninsula. During the 3rd millennium BC, there developed a very intimate cultural symbiosis between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism. Akkadian gradually replaced Sumerian as a spoken language somewhere between the 3rd and the 2nd millennia BC (the exact dating being a matter of debate). The Akkadian Empire reached its political peak between the 24th and 22nd centuries BC, following the conquests by its founder Sargon of Akkad. Under Sargon and his successors, the Akkadian language was briefly imposed on neighboring conquered states such as Elam and Gutium. Akkad is sometimes regarded as the first empire in history, though the meaning of this term is not precise, and there are earlier Sumerian claimants. After the fall of the Akkadian Empire, the people of Mesopotamia eventually coalesced into two major Akkadian-speaking nations: Assyria in the north, and, a few centuries later, Babylonia in the south.

On Akkadian seals and art we see more often a male-headed lion. The long hair and beard is also typical Akkadian, and has some similarity with the famous bronze head of the Akkadian king Manishtusu (2269-2255 BC) or Naram-Sin (2254-2218 BC) in the national Museum of Iraq.

Provenance: German private collection. Acquired on the Munich art market in the 1990′s
Very rare seal stamp with excellent details.
intakt

weight 3,94gr. ; gold circa 24x22mm. ; scarab circa 16x11mm.
Gray steatit scarab "facing figure (deity) with bird beneath, standing left",
mounted in solid gold hope.

By far the most important amulet in ancient Egypt was the scarab, symbolically as sacred to the Egyptians as the cross is to Christians. The underside of the abdomen, or flat side, of the scarabs was usually inscribed with the names of pharaohs and officials, private names, magical mottos, formulae, volute designs and other patterns, images of deities, sacred animals, and religious symbols. Scarabs were a common form of "charm" which everyone could afford and easily wear strung on a cord on their person. Most scarabs were made for the living. The small magical object was believed imbued with particular protective powers that warded off evil and provided good things for the owner for this life and also for the next, particularly when sewn to mummy wrappings. Although scarabs are known from the earliest periods, it is in the 12th dynasty that their use as seals became common. The great majority of scarab seals were quite small, generally measuring around 1,5 - 2cm. long by 1 - 1,5cm. wide.

provenance: from a German collection, acquired on the German art market in the 1980′s
Very rare and wonderful preserved.
intact

Length circa 50,6cm.
provenance; German private collection
intakt

Length 15,7cm. ; weigth circa 162 gram

In a wonderful condition with green patina.

provenance; German private collection

intact

weight circa 328gr. ; height 13,00 cm (placed on wooden base of 4,80cm)
The mummiform figure holding the crook and flail
and wearing the atef-crown and frontal uraeus.

This magnificent bronze votive sculpture represents Osiris, god of fertility, king of the dead, and ruler of eternity. Many centuries ago, it might have been found inside a temple, placed as an offering to the mighty deity. He is depicted wrapped as a mummy, holding a crook and flail. These two attributes act as scepters symbolic of his divine authority over the forces of nature. He wears the double plume headdress and a false braided beard with a curved tip. This type of beard is a symbol of divinity while the headdress associates the god with the ruling pharaohs. The legend of Osiris states that his brother Seth, overcome by jealousy, murdered him and tore his body into fourteen parts, scattering them across Egypt. Isis, the faithful wife of Osiris, traversed the land and gathered all the parts of his body. She then cast a spell that resurrected her deceased husband for one night, during which their child, Horus, was conceived. Thus, Osiris was the central figure of Egyptian religion, the god who had triumphed over death and therefore offered the hope of rebirth and resurrection to all men. This striking image of the god in his royal mummiform speaks of a universal mystery, the unanswered questions for which no living man has a sure answer.

Provenance: French private collection, acquired in the 1970′s on the Paris art market.
Wonderful piece of art, with an attractive dark brown patina.
intakt

Made of green faience ; height 50mm. - weight 10,72gr.

The dwarf god Bes or Bisu Bes may have been an imported Egyptian god, possibly of Nubian origin. Bes was a popular protector deity in Egypt and takes an outstanding role in popular belief. He saved the people in everyday life against all negative influences, especially in pregnancy, he helped in childbirth and promoted fertility. He was a guardian against snakes and misfortune. Although his important role, he never was one of the great gods of the ancient Egyptian world. This amulet represents Bes in its typical form naked with feather crown standing on a integral base. The shaped Egyptian faience amulet shows the god on both sides and is glazed in a beautiful green. Amulets of this quality are found very rarely in the art market.

provenance: old French private collection
some minor chips
intakt

Made of faience with Turkish blue glaze; height 65mm. - weight 8,02gr.

In Egyptian mythology, Imset (also transcribed Imseti, Amset, Amsety, Mesti, and Mesta) is a funerary deity, one of the Four sons of Horus, who are associated with the canopic jars, specifically the one that contained the liver. Because the Egyptians saw the liver as the seat of human emotion, the depiction of Imset was, unlike his brothers, not associated with any animal but always depicted as a mummified human. Isis is considered his protector, and is himself considered patron of the direction of the south. In ancient Egypt, the liver was thought to be the seat of emotion. A broken heart or death due to excess of emotions was associated with the deity. Thus the name of this deity became "The kindly one", which is "Imset" in ancient Egyptian.

provenance: old German private collection
intact