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Cylinder Seal with an Archer Hunting a Winged Bull
This seal features a kneeling bow hunter about to release an arrow at a rearing winged bull. The stylized cut drill marks are characteristic of Neo-Babylonian seals.
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. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Dr. and Mrs. E. Kirkbride Miller, Baltimore, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1971, by gift.
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
5/24/1978 | Treatment | other |
Geographies
Mesopotamia (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 1 9/16 x W: 4 3/4 x Diam: 5/8 in. (3.9 x 12 x 1.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. E. Kirkbride Miller, 1971
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
42.1465