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cylinder seal
Object Type
cylinder seal
Museum number
100674
Description
Pale grey-white chalcedony cylinder seal; two four-winged male figures (divine heroes or gods) face each other in mirror-image; they hold sickle-swords lowered behind them, grasp one leg of an eagle and rest one foot on a winged sphinx between them; behind them is a cactus-like plant in a pot. The figures are bearded, with shoulder-length hair; they wear feathered head-dresses decorated with a band of dots-in-squares, broad, horizontally-banded belts and wrap-around kilts with curved edges, decorated with dots-in-double squares. Their wings have double rows of feathers and both pairs of wings are of equal length. The eagle has spread wings and its head is turned towards the right, but looks back over its shoulder; it is winged, beardless, with shoulder-length hair and with chevrons indicating the fur along its belly. The hero on the left places his left foot on the sphinx's rump and the hero on the right places his right foot on its raised left forepaw.
Cultures/periods
Late Babylonian
Production date
800BC-600BC
Production place
Made in:
Asia
Materials
chalcedony
Dimensions
Diameter:
1.60 centimetres
Height:
3.60 centimetres
Bibliographic references
Collon 2001a / Catalogue of the Western Asiatic Seals in the British Museum: Cylinder Seals V: Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Periods
(327, pls.XXVII and XXXVI)
Wiseman 1959 / Cylinder Seals of Western Asia
(pl.71)
Collon 1987a / First Impressions: Cylinder Seals in the Ancient Near East
(371)
Wittmann B 1992 / Babylonische Rollsiegel des 11.-7 Jahrhundrets v. Chr
(no. 44, pp. 197, 259)
Collon 1995a / Ancient Near Eastern Art
(p.170, fig.136b)
British Museum 2011a / Splendours of Mesopotamia
(p.209, cat.188)
Location
Not on display
Exhibition history
Exhibited: 2011 28 March-26 June, Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, 'Splendours of Mesopotamia'
Subjects
bird
sphinx
plant
deity
vessel
arms/armour
Acquisition name
Purchased from:
Mrs Mary Griffin
Acquisition date
1905
Department
Middle East
BM/Big number
100674
Registration number
1905,1014.2