Stamp seal
Unknown Artist
ca. 5th–7th century CE
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
0.35 in. (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
Gift of Martin and Sarah Cherkasky, 1986
Accession Number
1986.311.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite stamp seal, crafted from stone during the Sasanian period (ca. 5th–7th century CE), hails from the vibrant culture of ancient Iran under the Sasanian Empire of the last great Persian dynasties before the Islamic conquest. Measuring just 0.35 (0.89 cm) in diameter, this tiny artifact exemplifies the precision of Sasanian stone carving, a technique honed for creating intricate impressions on clay or wax. Belonging to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Ancient Eastern Art collection, it generously gifted by Martin and Sarah Cherky in 1986. Stamp seals like this were essential tools ...