Name: Mesopotamian Hard Stone Cylinder Seal with Abstract Pattern
SKU: CFF-131
Availability: InStock

Mesopotamian Hard Stone Cylinder Seal with Abstract Pattern

£ 250.00

A fine Mesopotamian cylinder seal carved from a mottled black hardstone. The seal is carefully engraved with a pattern which alternates between a column of three dots, between which lay two stars, and a vertical column with two parallel incisions topped by a larger, then smaller circle. These could be a stylised representation of human figures. The seal is perforated longitudinally for suspension. Some earthy encrustations are visible to the surface. This seal comes with a professionally baked modern impression.

Measurements (seal) L 2.5 x W 0.9
Measurements (impression) L 3.5 x W 2.7

Date:

Provenance:

Condition:

In stock

In the ancient world, seals guaranteed the authenticity of marked ownership – as such, they were instrumental in legal transactions, and in the protection of goods against theft. Seal amulets with stylised animals have been found throughout Mesopotamia in contexts dating to the late fourth millennium BC, although stamp seals and cylinder seals were the predominant types in the ancient Near East.

To find out more about Mesopotamian cylinder seals, please see our relevant blog post:Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals – Exploring Glyptic Images