Syro-Anatolian Terracotta Stamp Seal

$157.87

A Syro-Anatolian terracotta stamp seal, featuring zoomorphic representations engraved to the surface. It has the iconic shape of a Syrian and Anatolian stamp seal, characterised by a rectangular-shaped base and a short conical knob on the top, pierced for suspension, now blocked.

Date: Circa 12th - 7th century BC
Provenance: Ex private collection, S.M., London, acquired 1970-99.
Condition: Fine condition, small chips to the edges around the base.

SOLD

SKU: HL-196 Category: Tags: ,

Stamp seals first appeared in Mesopotamia around the early 6th millennium BC. They were used as an administrative tool, acting as a signature, for stamping on clay surfaces, as were the cylinder seals invented in the 4th millennium BC. Traditional Mesopotamian seals had a profound aesthetic influence on the peripheral regions, among which Anatolian stamp seals inherited most of the typical features from the Old Assyrian period (circa 2000-1700 BC).

For more about stamp seals, see our relevant blog post: Making their Mark

Weight 89.1 g
Dimensions L 6.5 x W 4 x H 5.7 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

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