OLD BABYLONIAN SEAL
Ca. Early 2nd millennium BC. A beautifully stone-carved cylinder seal formed as a cone with an octagonal-shaped base. It is engraved to the underside with a depiction of a worshipper in a ceremonial robe in front of an altar, and to one side there is another image of a standing and robed figure, standing in profile, with his hands raised. This fine seal is pierced for suspension and is accompanied by a museum-quality impression. Cylindrical seals are objects with an engraved pattern, which was moved over a damp clay, thus obtaining a reflection in the form of a repeating pattern. It was mostly used to mark ownership but may also have had a magical function. They were used in Mesopotamia and other parts of the Middle East from the fourth to the first millennium BC. Size: L:23.4mm / W:17.9mm ; 9.4g Provenance: From the collection of a deceased gentleman, SM 1979-99 and by descent.

Estimate: GBP 750 - 1500