Cylinder seal
Unknown Artist
ca. 14th century BCE
Medium
Hematite, gold
Dimensions
H. 3.2 cm x Diam .9cm seal x Diam. 1.4 cm terminal
Classification
Stone-Cylinder Seals-Inscribed
Culture & Period
Cypriot · Late Cypriot II
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Nanette B. Kelekian, in memory of Charles Dikran and Beatrice Kelekian, 1999
Accession Number
1999.325.218
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite cylinder seal, crafted in the Late Cypriot II period around the 14th century BCE, hails from ancient Cyprus—a vibrant hub of Mediterranean trade linking the Near East, Egypt, and the Aegean world. Cylinder seals like this one were ingenious tools of the Bronze Age: rolled across wet clay to leave a raised impression, they served as personal signatures for authenticating documents, goods, or property ownership. Belonging to the Ancient Near Eastern Art collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this inscribed example reflects Cyprus's cultural exchanges, adopting a Mesopotamian...