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cylinder seal
Object Type
cylinder seal
Museum number
89703
Description
Black hematite cylinder seal; a man and a lion on its hind-legs hold crescent standards; they face a strange creature which is a misunderstood copy of two human headed bulls back to back; a lion and scorpions complete the scene.
Cultures/periods
Old Assyrian
Production date
1920BC-1740BC
Excavator/field collector
Excavated by:
Sir Austen Henry Layard
Findspot
Found/Acquired:
Nineveh (Iraq)
, Assyrian ruins
(?)
Materials
hematite
Dimensions
Diameter:
13 centimetres
Length:
20 millimetres
Bibliographic references
Layard A H 1853b / A second series of the monuments of Nineveh; including bas-reliefs from the palace of Sennacherib and bronzes from the ruins of Nimroud, from drawings made on the spot, during a second expedition to Assyria
(pl.69, no.34)
Location
On display
(G54/dc3)
Subjects
mythical figure/creature
arachnid
sun/moon
wild cat/big cat
Acquisition date
1851
Department
Middle East
BM/Big number
89703
Registration number
N.2054