Near East / the Levant, Assyria, ca. 1500 BCE. A round, black stone cylinder seal whose body depicts a procession of men and women, all wearing skirts and elaborate, differentiated headdresses. The body is drilled through vertically for suspension. Size: .875" L x .375" W (2.2 cm x 1 cm)

Cylinder seals played a major role in the daily life of the Mesopotamians. 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, as thousands of years ago, people were concerned with security and authenticity of the documents that they used to conduct business, just as we are today. Cylinder seals were a technological solution to a pressing problem, and their scenes are often complex to prevent forgery and identity individuals.

Provenance: private Carlton collection, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired between 1965 and 1980

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#128004

Intact, with light surface wear and nicely preserved motifs. Accompanied by a fired clay rollout of the seal.