Oval sealing with one circular seal impression
Unknown Artist
ca. 18th century BCE
Medium
Un-baked clay
Dimensions
Diameter: Seal: 1.6 cm remaining Seal Face: Sealing: 2.86 x 2.0 cm Height: 1.63 cm
Classification
Clay-Sealings
Culture & Period
Old Assyrian Trading Colony · Middle Bronze Age–Old Assyrian Trading Colony
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. George D. Pratt, in memory of George D. Pratt, 1936
Accession Number
36.70.23
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of Bronze Age trade with this delicate oval sealing from the Old Assyrian Trading Colony, dating to around the 18th century BCE. Crafted from un-baked clay—a fragile medium that preserved its authenticity—this small artifact (just 2.86 x 2.0 cm) bears a single circular seal impression, measuring 1.6 cm in diameter. Used in the ancient Near East, such sealings were pressed onto clay blobs to secure parcels, doors, or containers, ensuring goods remained tamper-proof during long-distance commerce. Hailing from the Middle Bronze Age hub of Assyrian merchants in Anatol...