Consul / diplomat · Landowner · Dealer

Marino Mattei

1783–1858 · Ottoman

Merchant. Consul at Larnaca. Parent of Cesare Mattei; sibling of Balthasar Mattei.

Life and work

1845
The stele of Sargon II, found at Kition in late autumn 1845, passed into Marino Mattei's possession before leaving for Berlin; the owners first asked 2,000-3,000 talaris (10,000-15,000 francs)
LarnacaMerrillees 2016
22 June 1846
The British Museum commissioned Niven Kerr to buy 'the Antique Statue now in the possession of Mr. Marino Mattei' (Kerr's letter file); Merrillees reads this as the Sargon stele
LarnacaMerrillees 2016

Connections

5 people

Sales & giftsFamilyColleagues

Sales, gifts & bequests

Sold to Jacob Matteiprobably1846

Family

Sibling of Balthasar Mattei
Parent of Cesare Mattei

Colleagues & contacts

Met Ludwig Ross1845
Connected with Niven Kerr1846
Connected with Jacob Mattei

Objects

Stele of Sargon II
From Kition (Larnaca)Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin VA 9681846Merrillees 2016

Sources

1.Robert Stuart Merrillees (2016). “Studies on the provenances of the stele of Sargon II from Larnaca (Kition) and the two so-called Dhali (Idalion) silver bowls in the Louvre”. Cahiers du Centre d'Études Chypriotes 46, 349-386. Online