Steatite lentoid seal
Unknown Artist
ca. 1300–1200 BCE
Medium
Steatite
Dimensions
Diameter 1.83-85 cm
Classification
Gems
Culture & Period
Minoan · Late Minoan IIIB
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Richard B. Seager, 1926
Accession Number
26.31.301
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite steatite lentoid seal, dating to the Late Minoan IIIB periodca. 1300–1200 BCE), hails from the vibrant Minoan culture of Bronze Age Crete. Shaped like a lentil—hence "lentoid"—with a diameter of just 183–1.85 cm, it the miniature artistry of the Aegean world. These seals were essential tools for marking ownership on documents, goods, or storage jars, reflecting the sophisticated administrative systems of Minoan palaces like Knossos. Carved from soft, translucent steatite (soapstone), the seal's intaglio design likely features birds, a common motif in Minoan glyptic art symboliz...