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USA Domestic: 12/14 for Standard; 12/23 for Express; International: 12/7 for Standard; 12/19 for ExpressAncient Near East, Akkadian Empire, ca. 2334 to 2154 BCE. A large, pale blue chalcedony stamp seal bead, incised with a figure of a standing worshipper inside a temple. The figure has a distinctive long beard and robes that fall to the floor; the altar it stands before is composed of several tall columns around a low platform. Stemming from the Latin term chalcedonius (chalchedonius), the name chalcedony is mentioned in Pliny the Elder's "Naturalis Historia" as a term for a translucent type of Jaspis. In fact the name most likely derives from the town of Chalcedon in Asia Minor. Size: 0.85" W x 2.7" H (2.2 cm x 6.9 cm)
Known as "kunukku" in Akkadian, royals, government officials, scribes, and slaves used them to transact business and send correspondence. They were worn around the neck or wrist and served as a signature and a guarantee, rolled into the moist clay of accounting and governance documents. They also link our modern world to the past - thousands of years ago, people were concerned with security and authenticity for the documents that they used to conduct business. Cylinder seals were a technological solution to a pressing problem, and their scenes are often complex to prevent forgery and identify individuals.
Provenance: private Zaveloff collection, Lakewood, New Jersey, USA, acquired at auction before 2004
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#151420
Condition
The uncarved end is repaired from multiple pieces; this is well done and difficult to see. Light wear on surface commensurate with age including some small chips and scratches; the motifs are nicely preserved with light deposits, mainly in the lower profile areas. Accompanied by a clay rollout of the motifs.