Stamp seal
Unknown Artist
ca. 3rd–7th century CE
Medium
Jasper, green with yellow
Dimensions
0.35 x 0.35 in. (0.89 x 0.89 cm)
Classification
Stone-Stamp Seals
Culture & Period
Sasanian · Sasanian
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Dodge Fund, 1936
Accession Number
36.106.8
Art Historical Context
This exquisite stamp seal, crafted from vibrant green jasper veined with yellow, hails from the Sasanian Empire (ca. 3rd–7th century), a powerhouse of ancient Persia that bridged the classical world and early Islam. Measuring just 0.35 square, its diminutive size belies its practical power: these seals were essential tools for authentication, pressed into soft clay or wax to mark documents, goods, and royal decrees. In the bustling administrative hubs of cities like Ctesiphon, they symbolized authority and ownership, reflecting the empire's sophisticated bureaucracy. Carved from durable jaspe...