Ancient Near East, Jemdet Nasr, ca. 3100 to 2900 BCE. A cylinder seal carved from a hard stone of jet black hues, most likely chalcedony, finely incised with seven figures standing in composite profile - heads in strict profile and looking upward, bodies frontal to face the viewer, legs in profile and toward the right of the composition, and arms in profile with one arm raised and the other either lowered or placed on the hip as if processing or dancing. A special example accompanied by a clay rollout with both the cylinder seal and rollout mounted on a lucite stand for optimal display. Size: 0.4" W x 1.1" H (1 cm x 2.8 cm); 2.15" H (5.5 cm) on included custom stand.
Cylinder seals played a major role in the daily life of the Ancient Near East. Known as kishib in Sumerian and 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 from Venus Gallery, Israel, in 2002
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#155599
Condition
Very light surface wear commensurate with age. Overall in excellent condition. Accompanied by a modern clay rollout.