Description
The scene on this seal depicts a standing deity, possibly Inanna, facing forward and wearing a horned headdress and long robe. She rests one foot on an animal. In the field next to this deity there is a small animal (possibly a monkey), followed by a worshipper in a short tunic, a small child, and a standing goddess in a flounced robe wearing a horned headdress and posed with both arms raised. Behind this goddess is a brief inscription, and then a final figure in short tunic, holding bent object, followed by another line of signs.
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.
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