**Originally Listed At $125**

Ancient Near East / the Levant, Proto-Assyrian, ca. 4000 BCE. A tall, black stone stamp seal that depicts what looks like a sun with radiating rays or a shield with a round boss in the center. A long handle rises from the back of the round face, with a drilled perforation through its end. Size: 1" L x .875" W (2.5 cm x 2.2 cm)

Seals played a major role in the daily life of the Mesopotamians. Royals, government officials, scribes, and slaves used them to transact business and send correspondence. Many 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 they used to conduct business, just as we are today. 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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#128002

Intact, with light surface chipping and wear from age and handling. Accompanied by a baked clay impression of the seal.