The hard protective outer case of a mollusk or an egg. Can be used for inlays, decoration, or for holding pigments or makeup.

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Object U Number Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) Museum Number (BM Registration Number) Museum Number (UPM B-number) Description (Catalog Card)
10442 (none) (none) (none) Mosaic in shell and lapis Part of the decoration of the big box, occupying the middle of the near side. The background is of lapis, the figures shell. All had fallen from their position and in all cases the face of the shell was so decayed that little of the design remains. Most of the design was figures, but there were also bits of purely decorative design. One part of each was sufficiently in situ to be waxed: the rest picked out in fragments.
10447 (none) (none) (none) Shell Plaque. 3 figures, 2 men and a boy. Found in bad condition, design not visible: the background has now been filled in with black to show the figures. Found rather high up in the filling, about 1mm, above the other offerings, PG, and perhaps not really belonging to PG 800. [drawing 1:1]
10465A (none) (none) B17064 [A-B] Silver Lions heads two with inlaid eyes Photo
10478A (none) (none) (none) Gaming-Board. With men and dice. [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found. Found behind the chariot.
10478B (none) (none) (none) Gaming-Board. With men and dice. [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found. Found behind the chariot.
10478C (none) (none) (none) Gaming-Board. With men and dice. [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found. Found behind the chariot.
10478D (none) (none) (none) Gaming-Board. With men and dice. [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found. Found behind the chariot.
10478E (none) (none) (none) Gaming-Board With men & dice [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found
10530 (none) (none) B16747 Cylinder Seal Shell Inscribed Naked bird-headed hero with sharp upstanding hair resembling plumes pulls a rampant antelope by the horns; before the antelope a pair of rampant lions crossed and beyond the lions a rampant ram reversed-head downwards. Below the ram a scorpion. Inscription reserved on an upper register: Lugal-sa(g)-pad-da). HC 211
10556A (none) (none) B17694B [A] Bull's head. Gold, with lapis hair between the horns and a lapis beard set in silver; the gold horns are tipped with lapis. [B]The body was of wood (see Field Notes) and down the front are [C] shell plaques with engraved mythological scenes
10556C (none) (none) B17684 [A] Bull's head. Gold, with lapis hair between the horns and a lapis beard set in silver; the gold horns are tipped with lapis. [B]The body was of wood (see Field Notes) and down the front are [C] shell plaques with engraved mythological scenes
10557 (none) (none) (none) Gaming-board of silver, the face composed of shell plaques engraved with mythological scenes & set in lapis frames
10574 (none) 1928,1010.227 (none) Staff-head(?) White shell A plain disk, almost flat, below which come strung on the staff 4 rings alternately of black shale and shell. Below them again were 3 shell disks like spindle whorls each with a black ring above: these were much smaller, diam. 0022 as against 034 for the upper rings.
10576A (none) 1928,1010.223 (none) [A-D] Shell Roundels 4 With inlaid rosette patterns in red and blue (one only in outline with blue centre, the others with alternate red & blue petals). One has shell and shale rings attached.
10576B (none) (none) B16701 [A-D] Shell Roundels 4 With inlaid rosette patterns in red and blue (one only in outline with blue centre, the others with alternate red & blue petals). One has shell and shale rings attached.
10576C (none) 1928,1010.224 (none) [A-D] Shell Roundels 4 With inlaid rosette patterns in red and blue (one only in outline with blue centre, the others with alternate red & blue petals). One has shell and shale rings attached.
10576D (none) (none) B16702 [A-D] Shell Roundels 4 With inlaid rosette patterns in red and blue (one only in outline with blue centre, the others with alternate red & blue petals). One has shell and shale rings attached.
10577A (none) (none) (none) Bull's head Copper From wooden statue. Down the front from neck to feet ran a band of 3 shell plaques with engraved scenes: (A) Man holding two leopards, (B) 2 goats rampant, (C) a lion fighting a bull. The Bulls eyes are of shell and lapis.
10577B (none) (none) (none) Bull's head Copper From wooden statue. Down the front from neck to feet ran a band of 3 shell plaques with engraved scenes: (A) Man holding two leopards, (B) 2 goats rampant, (C) a lion fighting a bull. The Bulls eyes are of shell and lapis.
10577C (none) (none) (none) Bull's head Copper From wooden statue. Down the front from neck to feet ran a band of 3 shell plaques with engraved scenes: (A) Man holding two leopards, (B) 2 goats rampant, (C) a lion fighting a bull. The Bulls eyes are of shell and lapis.
10584E (none) (none) B16990 Head Ornaments. (A) Quantity of gold ribbon., (B) Gold wreath, leaf pendants with double string of lapis and carnelian beads. (C) [.1-.2] Pair of large gold lunate earrings. (D)Silver pin with lapis head. (E) Silver hair ornament, 3-pronged, with rosette finials of gold, lapis and shell. (F) Double conoid beads, gold and lapis (see field notes) (G) Beads, lapis and silver (H) [H and L] 2 silver earrings, plain wire spirals [I] [Not assigned] (J)Cockleshells containing paint. (K) Silver pin, rounded head, L. 150mm
10584J (none) (none) B16999 Head Ornaments. (A) Quantity of gold ribbon., (B) Gold wreath, leaf pendants with double string of lapis and carnelian beads. (C) [.1-.2] Pair of large gold lunate earrings. (D)Silver pin with lapis head. (E) Silver hair ornament, 3-pronged, with rosette finials of gold, lapis and shell. (F) Double conoid beads, gold and lapis (see field notes) (G) Beads, lapis and silver (H) [H and L] 2 silver earrings, plain wire spirals [I] [Not assigned] (J)Cockleshells containing paint. (K) Silver pin, rounded head, L. 150mm
10585C (none) (none) (none) Head Ornaments. A. Gold ribbon B. Wreath of gold leaves and lapis and carnelian beads C. Silver pin with 3 arms and rosettes finials having gold, lapis, and shell petals. D. [D.1-.2] Pair of large gold lunate earrings. E. [E and G-H] Three silver wire spiral coil earrings. F. Silver pin with lapis head. The beads are missing and must be in some other of the groups.
10593D (none) (none) (none) [A-D] Tomb Group A: Beads, lapis, silver and carnelian with one pendant of greenish white stone. [drawing] 1:1 B: Copper pin with lapis ball head, stem broken. C: Silver wire spiral coil earring. D: Cockle shell containing paint.
10594A (none) (none) B17679 Tomb Group. (A) Beads. Small lapis double conoids and some silver. [B-C] 2 silver wire spiral coil earrings.

Related Terms

Antler - Bitumen - Bone - Leather - Reed - Textiles - Tooth - Wood - Plants

Child Terms

Egg Shell - Marine Shell