Cylinder Seal with a King as a Hero

This seal features a Persian king in a "Master of Animals" pose, in combat with two gazelles The gazelles stand on their hind legs, and the king holds them by their front legs. Based on the crowned figure's Persian dress and his triumphant pose, this seal dates to the reign of King Darius I (ca. 521-486 BCE) or after. During Darius's rule there was political restructuring, and around his 6th year the Achaemenid “court style” emerges. This new style featured figures dressed in Persian-style outfits, and one of this style's most common themes was a conquering hero holding defeated creatures.

Cylinder seals are cylindrical objects carved in reverse (intaglio) in order to leave raised impressions when rolled into clay. Seals were generally used to mark ownership, and they could act as official identifiers, like a signature, for individuals and institutions. A seal’s owner rolled impressions in wet clay to secure property such as baskets, letters, jars, and even rooms and buildings. This clay sealing prevented tampering because it had to be broken in order to access a safeguarded item. Cylinder seals were often made of durable material, usually stone, and most were drilled lengthwise so they could be strung and worn. A seal’s material and the images inscribed on the seal itself could be protective. The artistry and design might be appreciated and considered decorative as well. Cylinder seals were produced in the Near East beginning in the fourth millennium BCE and date to every period through the end of the first millennium BCE.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Sadie Jones (Mrs. Henry Walters), New York, 1931, by inheritance; Joseph Brummer, Paris and New York, 1941, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1941, by purchase.