Stamp seal (scarab) with animal
Unknown Artist
ca. 9th–7th century BCE
Medium
Hematite
Dimensions
Seal Face: 1.13 x 0.75 cm Height: 0.48 cm
Classification
Stone-Stamp Seals
Culture & Period
Phoenician · Iron Age II
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of David Dows, 1945
Accession Number
45.4.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
This petite Phoenician stamp seal, from hematite around the 9th–7th BCE during Iron Age II, exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient Near Eastern artisans. Shaped as a scarab beetle—a potent symbol of rebirth and protection borrowed from Egyptian iconography—the seal's face measures just 1.13 x 0.75 cm, with a total height of 048 cm. Its compact form belies its practical power: when pressed into soft clay, it would leave an impression of an animal motif, likely a bird, for marking documents, goods, or amulets. Hematite, a dense and lustrous iron ore prized for its durability and met...