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21
Sumerian brown stone cylinder seal from the Jemdet Nasr period, 3200-2850 BC, 3200-2850 BC, featuring a row of seated female figures, referred to in some seal catalogs as “pigtailed ladies” engaged in an activity, perhaps weaving. It measures 17 mm x 15 mm.
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22
Pink stone cylinder seal with an intricate design which represents a Lama goddess leading a worshipper to a sitting god, crescent and star on the field above, with two registers of cuneiform perhaps summoning the god of choice in the supplication process. The scene on this seal represents the standard “presentation scene” which became popular during the Ur III period, 2112-2004 BC, into the early Babylonian period. Such scenes depict a human worshipper – probably representing the owner of the seal – led by a goddess before an enthroned deity. The goddess is a type of personal, protective deity known in Sumerian as lama and in Akkadian as lamassu, who often appears in presentation scenes “interceding” on behalf of a mortal. In scenes of the Ur III period, she leads him before a seated deity; in later periods, she stands behind him and assumes a suppliant posture. This seal measures 36 mm x 15 mm.
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23
Green stone cylinder seal similar in construction and theme to the example above but from a somewhat earlier period. This is possible to determine from the extended naked leg of the receiving deity, an image characteristic of the earlier Akkadian period, 2300-2150 BC. This design again represents a Lama goddess leading a worshipper to a standing deity with two registers of cuneiform perhaps summoning the god of choice in the supplication process or presenting the name of the seal’s owner. Such scenes depict a human worshipper – probably representing the owner of the seal – led by a goddess before an enthroned deity. This seal measures 28 mm x 15 mm.
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24
Old Babylonian cylinder seal of polished back steatite featuring the naked goddess, likely Inanna also known as Ishtar, with two standing male attendants, one with a cone-topped hat, a running dog and other symbols. It measures 20 mm x 9 mm.
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25
Tiny pink stone concave cylinder seal from the Late Uruk or early Jemdet Nasr period, 3200-2850 BC, featuring deeply dot-drilled birds, two birds facing one with three dots above an x or crossed lines below. This is one of the smallest seals in the collection measuring just 8 mm. in height and 9 mm. across.
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26
Yellow limestone geometric cylinder seal from the Late Uruk or early Jemdet Nasr period, 3200- 2850 BC, featuring crossing lines making a diamond pattern, one of the more popular designs in this era. This seal measures 22 mm x 17 mm.
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27
Yellow limestone geometric cylinder seal from the Late Uruk or early Jemdet Nasr period, 3200-2850 BC, 3200-2850 BC, featuring a very common chevron design. This seal measures 17 mm x 12 mm.
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28
White marble cylinder seal from the Jemdet Nasr period, 3100–2900 BC, with multiple lines depicting a face, presumably human, with eyes and nose clearly shown.
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29
Barrel shaped white marble geometric cylinder seal from the Late Uruk or early Jemdet Nasr period, 3200-2850 BC, 3200-2850 BC, featuring a very common chevron design. It measures 12 mm x 10 mm.
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30
Black stone, likely steatite, Northern Syrian cylinder from the late Third Millennium BC featuring a seated bearded male ruler or deity holding a large vessel before a fire altar. A male attendant sands behind the seated figure and a panel of cuneiform appears at the top register just above the offering. This seal measures 37 mm x 10 mm.
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31
Sumerian cylinder seal from the Akkadian or Early Dynastic period, 2600-2350 BC, with a classic high relief contest scene in the Mari style. This seal measures 32 x 19 mm.
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32
Sumerian carved bone cylinder seal from the Proto- Literate period, 4500-2750 BC, with two registers, in eye pattern, with pierced points at center of eyes and above and below on sides for inlay. This early seal measures 32 mm in length and is pierced down the center.
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33
Pink hard stone cylinder seal from the Early Dynastic period showing a contest scene with a naked human figure, facing left, in motion with upraised arms with various animals and a crescent in the upper register. It measures 36 mm x 15 mm.
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34
Assyrian green faience or composition cylinder seal featuring a row of winged griffins facing left with a flowering plant dividing one pair and another indistinguishable creature dividing the other. 900- 750 BC. This seal measures 18 mm x 8 mm.
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35
Babylonian Cylinder seal in silverish black Hematite, one of the hardest stones used in antiquity. The seal dates ca. 1900-1800 BC. The seal is rather thick to give a long impression and engraved with 5 tall standing figures in segmented robes in an extended supplication scene. Size: 24 mm. tall. and 12 mm. thick.
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36
Sumerian cylinder seal in lapis lazuli from the Early Dynastic Period, Third Millennium BC, featuring long horned animals and a naked human figure in a classic contest scene. Lapis lazuli became a popular and highly sought-after material for seals as it was associated with both royalty and deities in the ancient Near East. The goddess Inanna was said to have entered the underworld wearing a necklace of lapis as an insignia of her rank and divine status. Coming from the Badakhshan area of Afghanistan, this blue stone also is evidence of a robust trade in valuable commodities over considerable distances over 5,000 years ago. This little seal measures 15 mm x 8 mm.
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37
Small black stone Sumerian cylinder seal from the Uruk Period, featuring an interesting geometric design representing a row of stylized ibexes. This seal measures 3/4-inch x 3/8, 10 mm x 19 mm.
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38
This large shell uncut blank measures 41 mm x 21 mm and represents one of the rarer raw materials used by the seal cutters in ancient Sumerian. This large blank was carefully ground and shaped into a functional cylinder shape and was lost or discarded before it could be carved or simply was in the seal cutter’s unused inventory. This object is difficult to date but its context indicates it is from the Akkadian period, 2300-2154 BC. This lairage seal measures 42 mm x 22 mm.
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39
White limestone Sumerian cylinder seal from the Early Dynastic Period, approximately 2900-2700 BC, featuring a very minute and busy pattern of dots and crossed lines. It measures 27 mm x 8 mm.
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40
Sumerian white stone cylinder seal from the Jemdet Nasr period, 3100–2900 BC, with a dual register geometric pattern. This seal measures 21 mm x 7.5 mm