A rare Sumerian Copper Pin with Lapis Snake Finial, ca. 3rd millennium BCE Medium - Iron 1905 – April 4

1905 – April 4

with its original ink and pencil notations

Bezel length: 5/8 inch (1

Often there is a total lack of internal detail

The amethyst gemstone

A rare Sumerian Copper Pin with Lapis Snake Finial, ca. 3rd millennium BCE Medium - Iron 1905 – April 4A long copper pin with a blue green patina over a red brown oxide ground. The finial is carved from deep blue lapis lazuli and takes the form of a compact, stylized coiled snake with an enlarged head marked by simple incised lines. Pins of this type served as luxury dress or hair fasteners, with the carved finial functioning as a visible ornament that signaled personal status. The combination of a metal shaft and a hard stone finial is well documented