Stamp seal (loaf-shaped hemispheroid) with animal

ca. 7th–6th century BCE (?)

Not on view

Stamp seals were used in antiquity as marks of ownership and badges of status. This seal is pierced so that it could be suspended on a string and be worn. On its flattened side a rearing horse is depicted standing erect with its head turned back toward its body. The image is carved into the surface of the stone and appears in relief when the seal is pressed into clay.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Stamp seal (loaf-shaped hemispheroid) with animal
Date: ca. 7th–6th century BCE (?)
Geography: Southwestern Arabia
Culture: Southwest Arabian
Medium: Banded carnelian (Quartz)
Dimensions: H. 7/8 × W. 9/16 × D. 1/2 in. (2.2 × 1.4 × 1.3 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, 1941
Object Number: 41.160.337
Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art

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