Stamp seal (conoid) with cultic scene

Art Historical Context

This exquisite stamp seal, carved in the shape of a conoid from mottled neutral chalcedony—a durable, semi-precious variety of quartz—dates to the 7th–6th BCE. Measuring just 2.7 cm high with a tapering diameter of 1.–0.78 cm, its petite size and central string hole suggest it was worn as a personal amulet or pendant. The intricate cultic scene engraved on its depicts a ritualistic moment, likely involving deities or sacred figures central to Assyro-Babylonian worship. Crafted during the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods, when mighty Mesopotamian empires dominated the Ancient Near East,...