Stamp seal (scaraboid) with animal and divine symbols
Unknown Artist
7th century BCE
Medium
Flawed neutral Chalcedony (Quartz)
Dimensions
H. 7/8 in. (2.3 cm); Diam. 1 in. (2.6 cm)
Classification
Stone-Stamp Seals
Culture & Period
Assyrian · Neo-Assyrian
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Nanette B. Kelekian, in memory of Charles Dikran and Beatrice Kelekian, 1999
Accession Number
1999.325.94
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite stamp seal, shaped like a scaraboid and dating to the 7 century BCE, hails from the Neo-Assyrian period ancient Mesopotamia. Crafted by an unknown artist, it exemplifies the sophisticated stone-carving traditions of Assyrian culture, a time when the Assyrian Empire dominated the Near East through military prowess and administrative innovation. Measuring just 7/8 inch high and 1 inch in diameter, this intimate object would have been worn as an amulet or used to imprint clay documents, authenticating ownership or invoking protection. Carved from flawed neutral chalcedony—a durabl...