MESOPOTAMIAN SHELL INLAYS OF A BULL AND A MAN

Ca. 3000 BC. A pair of shell inlays, from left to right: a recumbent bull with a broad body, its forelegs and hind legs folded beneath the body, with the contours and anatomical details rendered in dark incised lines; and the head of a bearded man in profile to the left, with a prominent nose, large almond-shaped eye with dotted iris and a long side-lock descending behind the ear. The incised details are filled with dark bitumen. For similar see: Christie's, Live Auction 9540, Antiquities, 7 December 2000, Lot 673. Size: 15-40mm x 15-25mm; Weight: 10g Provenance: Prince Collection, 1990s–2014; Christie's, Antiquities sale, number 9380 Lot 447.

Estimate:£200

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