Ancient Near East, Sumeria, ca. early 1st millennium BCE. A large black stone bead, cylindrical in form, and pierced vertically with a wide opening for suspension, featuring a series of auspicious symbols incised around its body: a spread-winged bird, iconographically similar to the winged sun symbol, above an altar; a standing warrior god in a chariot drawn by a winged quadruped; and a lamassu, a protective deity with a human head, bird wings, and bull or lion body. Finally, there is an eight-pointed star, known as the Star of Inanna, Star of Ishtar, or Star of Venus below one of the wings of the bird. Size: 0.7" W x 0.8" H (1.8 cm x 2 cm); 2.7" H (6.9 cm) on included custom stand.

Cylinder seals played a major role in the daily life of the Ancient Near East. Known as kishib in Sumerian and kunukku in Akkadian, royals, government officials, scribes, and slaves used them to transact business and send correspondence. They were worn around the neck or wrist and served as a signature and a guarantee, rolled into the moist clay of accounting and governance documents. They also link our modern world to the past - thousands of years ago, people were concerned with security and authenticity for the documents that they used to conduct business. Cylinder seals were a technological solution to a pressing problem, and their scenes are often complex to prevent forgery and identify individuals.

Provenance: private Zaveloff collection, Lakewood, New Jersey, USA, acquired before 2004

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#151469

Light wear on surface commensurate with age but motifs are in very nice condition. Comes with modern clay rollout.