Stamp seal and modern impression: unicorn and incense burner (?)
Unknown Artist
ca. 2600–1900 BCE
Medium
Burnt steatite
Dimensions
1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 3/8 in. (3.8 x 3.8 x 1 cm)
Classification
Stone-Stamp Seals-Inscribed
Culture & Period
Indus · Mature Harappan
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Dodge Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.40.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite stamp seal, crafted from burnt steatite 2600–1900 BCE during the Mature Harappan period the Indus Valley Civilization, a glimpse into one of the world's earliest urban societies. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Ancient Near Eastern Art department, this tiny artifact—measuring just 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 3/8 inches—was acquired through the Dodge Fund in 9. The Indus culture, flourishing in what is now Pakistan and northwest India, produced thousands of such seals for sealing goods, marking property, and possibly ritual purposes, reflecting advanced trade networks from Mesopotam...