cylinder seal
- Museum number
- 89409
- Description
-
Barely translucent, mottled greys, chalcedony cylinder seal, a goddess, wearing a tall, globe-topped, horned head-dress and a fringed robe, holds a globe in her right hand and a ring in her left, and sits on a chair whose high back is ornamented with six drill-holes; she faces a small bearded god , who is similarly attired, raises one hand, holds a mace below the head in the other hand, and stands on the back of the couchant bull. Between the deities, superimposed, are a winged sun-disc with streamers, a crescent and a table on which lies the body of an animal (?) with its short tail in the air; above the bull's head is a tasselled globe on a stand; behind the god a small bearded worshipper stands below the Pleiades, with one hand pointing and one extended. Line borders at top and bottom. Edges chipped.
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 1.80 centimetres
-
Height: 3.75 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- According to the catalogue "the line of small drill-holes edging the wings of the sun-disc are unique, according to Dominique Parayre (pers.comm.); note that the same fine drill has been used to make the ring held by the goddess and the decoration along the top of her head-dress.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Fair; edges chipped.
- Acquisition date
- 1846
- Department
- Middle East
- BM/Big number
- 89409
- Registration number
- 1846,0523.341