- Museum number
- 124015
- Title
- Series: Oxus Treasure
- Description
-
Blue chalcedony cylinder seal engraved in intaglio with two battle scenes in unequal compartments divided by vertical lines, the larger scene depicts a royal figure (henceforth "king") with a pointed beard marked by vertical lines and hair worn in a page boy style with an unusual fillet or net which resembles an inverted graduated comb, the widest section fitting over the back of the head with narrow front knobbed over the forehead and tied at the back leaving two free ends; he is dressed in a Persian robe partially drawn up to reveal one knee, the remainder falling in a great fold from his shoulder, its pendant sleeves are decorated across the shoulder with a row of dots; his shoes are shown with three straps; he is engaging in combat with two other bearded men, while two additional bearded men dressed in similar clothing lie prostrate on the ground beneath; the king has a bow-case, ornamentated with three swinging pom-poms or tassles, slung on his back which contains a bow with a curved extremity and arrows, and with one hand he grasps the wrist of one opponent wearing a jacket or tunic with a belt tied at the front and high boots tied around the tops, and who has fallen upon his left knee, his right being pierced by an arrow; with his right hand the king drives his spherical-butted spear into the shoulder of this wounded man, who holds a dagger or arrow in his right hand and a small compound bow in his left, and who looks backwards to a second figure standing behind. This second figure is similarly attired but wears a high cap with fillet falling backwards from his head and a bow-case slung on his back, and who raises his left arm while attempting to lift his fallen comrade with his right. Between the king and this second figure is a winged disc above a circle enclosing the head and torso of a bearded male figure (Ahuramazda?) facing right.
The second scene is similar to the first and likewise shows an imposing royal figure (the victor) in Persian gown and with a tasselled bow-case slung on his back, in this case driving a spherical-butted spear into the back, between the shoulder blades, of a stooping bearded man dressed in a belted tunic and high boots and who is holding a dagger in his right hand which has been turned towards his own head by the victor and a bow in his other hand; directly below these figures is a prostrate bearded figure in belted tunic and high boots, and above is a bearded bust (Ahuramazda?) arising directly out of a winged disc, its lower ege forming a crescent, and facing left away from the victor. The action portrayed in the two compartments is seen to be a continuing one, with the fight depicted in the smaller compartment taking place over the bodies of the fallen in the larger one.
The seal surface is lightly but extensively patinated, although the surface whitening is more extensive than usually produced by patination during burial; some minor chipping along both edges.
- Production date
- 5thC BC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 1.10 centimetres
-
Height: 3.70 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- According to Merrillees catalogue "Although surface whitening is more extensive than that usually produced by patination during burial, it is similar to that from another seal from the Oxus Treasure, scaraboid ANE 124014. This suggests that the alteration to both seals was probably caused by their particular burial conditions. It seems unlikely that fine blue chalcedony would have been deliberately etched". The same sources also states "for battle scenes where the protogonist wears either the Persian robes or Median garments, is armed with a spear and fights a Greek (in one case) or nomads, see a cylinder impression, on a bulla, said to have come from Telloh-Girsu (but see also Goetze, voicing doubt about the provenance of this group of impressions) and three impressions from Persepolis, the first two on bullae, the third on a tablet, all dated to the time of Xerxes (486-465 BC);" as is the case with this seal "the rather static stance of the Achaemenid victors contrasts with that of the Medes and the Greek and nomad opponents which all display a certain amount of dramatic movement; two of the impressions show the winged disc. It has been difficult to parallel or identify the nomadic foe, except for the similar captive nomad" on other Merrillees catalogue seal mentioned."The closest to the headgear of the nomad in the wider scene, without chin straps, are those shown on the Skudra (one of the western Scythian groups), but the central knob is missing. The boots with hanging tassels seem to be without parallel, all the nomadic representations shown on the reliefs are in long trousers.... Finally, although the nomads are shown carrying a bow case, it is not of the well-known Median or nomadic 'gorytus' and none of the victims is shown with the Median dagger, rather it is a short dagger which is wielded by two of them. Pierre Amiet (personal communication) has suggested that the enemies on the present seal might be Elamites and points to similar headgear worn by the Elamite king Teumman on the reliefs depicting the Battle of Til Tuba in the British Museum. He also wears laced boots, but Elamite dress (at least in the seventh century) is different".
- Bibliographic references
-
Moorey 1978 / The Iconography of an Achaemenid Stamp-seal acquired in the Lebanon (pp.148-49, fig. 7)
-
Merrillees 2005 / Catalogue of the Western Asiatic seals in the British Museum: Pre-Achaemenid and Achaemenid periods (66)
-
Dalton 1964a / The treasure of the Oxus with other examples of early oriental metal-work (pp. 31-32, pl. XVI or XV, cat. no. 114)
-
Sarre F 1922a / Die Kunst des Alten Persien (no.52 (middle))
-
Pope 1938 / Survey of Persian Art (vol.I, p.393, vol. IV, pl.124X)
-
Barnett 1967b / Assyria and Iran. The earliest representation of Persians (pp.3005-3006, fig.1068)
-
Hicks J 1976a / The Persians (p.79)
-
Harper P O et al. 1978a / The Royal Hunter: Art of the Sasanian Empire (p.147, fig.71b) (illustrated as comparison with Sassasian seal)
-
Cook J M 1983a / The Persian Empire (pl.34)
-
Collon 1987a / First Impressions: Cylinder Seals in the Ancient Near East (574)
-
Collon 1990 / Near Eastern Seals (Interpreting the Past) (p.42, fig.27)
-
Schmidt EF 1957a / Persepolis II: Contents of the Treasury and Other Discoveries (pl.9:28-30) (cf:)
-
Allen 2005a / The Persian Empire: A History (p.45)
-
Curtis & Tallis 2005 / Forgotten Empire: The world of Ancient Persia (cat. 413)
-
Pinder-Wilson 1971a / Royal Persia: a commemoration of Cyrus the Great and his successors on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (no.25)
-
Boardman 2000 / Persia and the West: An Archaeological Investigation of the Genesis of Achaemenid Art (p. 160, fig. 5.5)
-
Wu Xin 2010a / Enemies of Empire: A Historical Reconstruction of Political Conflicts between Central Asia and the Persian Empire (p.549, fig. 51.3)
- Location
- On display (G52/dc3)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2006 7 Mar-11 Jun, Barcelona, Fundacion La Caixa, 'L'imperi Oblidat'
2005-2006 Sept-Jan, London, BM, 'Forgotten Empire'
1995-2005 17 Nov-Aug BM, G52/IRAN/28b
1994 16 Jun-23 Dec, BM, G49/IRAN/28b
1971, BM, 'Royal Persia: a commemoration of Cyrus the Great and his successors on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire'
1989 Temporary display, BM, Room 35 (Hinton St Mary mosaic staircase)
1975-ca 1990 Jul- BM, Iranian Room [IR], OT case
1971, BM, 'Royal Persia: a commemoration of Cyrus the Great and his successors on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire'
1931-ca 1939 BM, Room 20: Persian Room
1923-1931 BM, King Edward VII Building: Franks Display
1900- BM, Gold Ornament Room
- Condition
- Complete; surfaces discoloured to pale whitish colour.
- Acquisition date
- 1897
- Department
- Middle East
- BM/Big number
- 124015
- Registration number
- 1897,1231.114
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: OT 114 (catalogue no)
