Help with a possibly Near Eastern? amulet

[Didier Attaix]

Hi everybody,

 

I just received a possibly Near Eastern? amulet. The seller is used with wrong depictions. The dimensions are L 3.7, H 2.6, W 1.4 cm. Material is lapis lazuli, the amulet is pierced vertically for suspension with a hole on the back of the ram.

 

Thanks in advance for any comment.

 

Best,

 

Didier

 

_._,_._,_

 

[Didier Attaix]

Hi everybody,

Thanks to a Londonian friend I now know what it is. This is a Sumerian amulet of an ibex, not a ram. My friend found a rather close parallel also pierced for suspension by a vertical hole on the back of the ibex, sold by Gallery Christoph Bacher in Germany, see https://www.cb-gallery.com/en/produkt/sumerisches-lapislazuli-amulett-eines-steinbocks/

Christoph Bacher noted as I did that his amulet was of the highest quality as extremely well detailed. According to him such amulets are of the Early Dynastic Period, thus 2800-2340 B.C. They are very old and highly uncommon. 

Best,

Didier