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cylinder seal
Object Type
cylinder seal
Museum number
89751
Description
Green stone cylinder seal; contest scene - hero protecting a bull which a lion is attacking. Bull-man protecting an antelope which a very diminitative lion in the field is attacking. Hero protecting a goat which a diminitive lion, in the field is attacking. Hero protecting a goat which a diminitive lioness beneath the space left for an inscriptioin is attacking. Terminal - space left for inscription above; two parallel lines; lioness already described below; very worn.
Cultures/periods
Early Dynastic III
(?)
Akkadian
(?)
Production date
2400BC-2200BC
Findspot
Found/Acquired:
Persepolis
(?)
Materials
stone
Dimensions
Diameter:
2.20 centimetres
Height:
3.20 centimetres
Bibliographic references
Cullimore A 1842 / Oriental Cylinders, Impressions of ancient oriental cylinders, or rolling seals of the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Medo-Persians
(99)
Lajard F 1847 / Introduction a l'etude du culte public et des mysteres de Mithra en Orient et en Occident
(L,7)
Guide 1922 / Guide to the Babylonian and Assyrian Antiquities in the British Museum
(pp.232, 234)
Location
Not on display
Condition
Fair / poor; very worn.
Subjects
mammal
mythical figure/creature
Acquisition date
1833
Acquisition notes
Annotated purchased 1833 in WAA copy of Cullimore (cf. above p.97) and evidently the group purchased for £25 with cufic coins etc. at this date as mentioned in BM Central Archive - Reports 1833, p.3479 and Trustees Committee Minutes p.3706. Mentioned ("nine cylinders") in printed List of Additions, 1834 but no 1834 acquisition of seals is known.
Department
Middle East
BM/Big number
89751
Registration number
1833,1214.4