Cylinder seal and modern impression: two horned animals, rosettes
Unknown Artist
ca. 3100–2900 BCE
Medium
Clinoenstatite (sometimes referred to as "glazed steatite")
Dimensions
H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); D. 11/16 in. (1.8 cm)
Classification
Stone-Cylinder Seals
Culture & Period
Proto-Elamite · Proto-Elamite
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
1999.325.104
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Proto-Elamite cylinder seal, dating to around 3100–2900 BCE, offers a glimpse into one of the earliest urban societies in ancient Iran. Carved from clinoenstatite—a, glossy stone often called "glazed steatite"—it measures just 1 3/8 inches high and 11/16 inches in, yet demonstrates remarkable lapidary skill. Cylinder seals like this were revolutionary tools in the Ancient Near East, rolled across soft clay to leave impressions that authenticated documents, goods, or ownership in burgeoning administrative systems. The seal's design features two dynamic horned animals—likely styl...