A LAPIS LAZULI FRIEZE OF A DIGNITARY WITH SNAKEWestern Asiatic region, presumably 7th century. Of irregular rectangular form, carved in relief with a dignitary seated on a stool and a further figure with a staff, both grasping a snake depicted in the center. The stone of a deep, striking blue hue amid patches and veins in various shades of gray beneath subtle glimmering mica flecks.Condition: Good condition with traces of age and wear, minor losses, the stone with natural imperfection and minor encrustations. Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. Weight: 1266 g (excl. stand) Dimensions: c. 15 x 16 cm (excl. stand)With a modern stand. (1)