Stamp seal (oval conoid, pin preserved) with cultic scene

Art Historical Context

This exquisite stamp seal, carved from flawed neutral and red agate—a durable quartz prized in antiquity for its vibrant banding—dates to the late 8th–6th century BCE, bridging the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods. Shaped as an oval con (2.0 x 1.69 cm face, 2.72 cm high) with a preserved copper/bronze pin and hole, it likely served as both a practical tool and personal amulet. The engraved cultic scene on its face, featuring male figures (as indicated by tags), evokes the ritualistic world of ancient Mesopotamia. In Assyro-Babylonian culture, stamp seals like this authenticated documen...