MITANNI-CANAANITE COMPOSITE CYLINDER SEAL

Ca. 1500-1300 BC
A composite cylinder seal features a captivating depiction of birds positioned on either side of a central motif known as the tree of life. The image conveys a symmetrical arrangement, emphasizing the balance and harmony of the composition. Birds have been associated with transcendence and the connection between the earthly and divine realms in various cultural and religious contexts. The central motif of the tree of life represents the interconnectedness of life and the cycles of nature. It is often associated with fertility, growth, and renewal. Studied by PD Dr. habil. Pieter Gert van der Veen, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.
Size: L:28.8mm / W:12.1mm ; 4.44g
Provenance: Private London collection of an Ancient Art dealer; formerly in a central London family collections 1990s; Suggested to be examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Estimate: GBP 400 - 600