20th-16th century BC. A D-section ceramic plaque with male deity's face, possibly Humbaba, modelled in the half-round, featuring a brow-band, lentoid eyes, snub nose, scaphoid mouth and short beard; held between membrane in a modern frame. Cf. Godard, F., The Art of Iran, London, 1965, pl.21. 111 grams, 85mm high (249 grams total, 13 x 13cm including case) (3 1/4" (5 x 5")). Mayfair gallery, 1980s. Property of Mr. A.K., acquired London, UK. With Artemission, London, UK, in 2018. Property of a UK collector. The head is likely to be Humbaba, who is possibly a form of the Elamite god Humban. He appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh as a guardian of the cedar forests sacred to the god Enlil and is described as a giant protected by seven layers of terrifying radiance. He was eventually killed by Gilgamesh, and hispanion Enkidu, by having his head cut off. In art, Humbaba is typically portrayed as a human-bodied figure with lion's claws for hands, a monstro face, long hair and whiskers. Babylonian models of the face of Humbaba were connected with divination and some are inscribed with omens, but they have also been found placed high up on walls acting as magical charms; the face of Humbaba can be seen carved in stone and set into the wall to one side of the entrance of the temple at Tell al-Rimah, Iraq. [No Reserve]