cylinder seal
- Museum number
- 138115
- Description
-
Brown, translucent glass cylinder seal; figure with animal: his torso is in three-quarter view and he strides to the left. The figure seems to be bareheaded with his hair in a bunch round the back of the head and ridged over the forehead, his beard is long, full and square-tipped, his shoulders are wide and bulky, possibly representing an upper, sleeveless garment (but there is no other indication of this), he wears a pleated thigh-length kilt, and possibly trousers as his legs appear quite thick in comparison with his thin arms. He holds a stick, rod or goad in his raised left hand and with the other guides a horned and hoofed antelope or gazelle by a rein or cord lasso tied around its neck; one horn is depicted, angled up and back from the top of the head, one long ear is visible and the long tufted tail hangs down; it has a heavily-modelled body for its spindly legs. A kudu has similar horns but it has a short tail; there are two large chips on the lower edge and surface of the seal, eliminating a small portion of the bottom section of the engraving.
.
- Production date
- 750BC-550BC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 1.15 centimetres
-
Height: 2.15 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- According to Merrillees catalogue "seals in alabaster and faience from Surkh Dum-i-Luri, Luristan show single figures standing just before or behind animals, and although not similar in style" to this seal "they indicate that such a design, which may signify some kind of hunting, was part of the provincial repertory. An impression from Susa shows a scene of animal husbandry; the figure, although long-robed, has the rounded, muscled shoulders in three-quarter view of our figure. Achaemenid ploughing scenes occur on Delaporte and Frankfort. A seal interpreted by Vollenweider as showing a ploughing scene, has a Median figure holding a spear (or goad?), walking with a bull just before him as he were marching the animal to sacrifice, similarities with" this seal "may indicated the same interpretation".
Cf. L Delaporte, 'Musée du Louvre, Catalogue des cylindres orientaux II. Acquisitions', Paris 1920-1923, pl.91:21 (A.791).
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1995-2005 17 Nov-6 Dec, BM, G52/IRAN/5, from official opening
- Condition
- Fair; two large chips on the lower edge and surface.
- Acquisition date
- 1890
- Department
- Middle East
- BM/Big number
- 138115
- Registration number
- 1890,0515.17
