Compartmented Stamp Seal
Bronze
Western Central Asia (Bactria)
circa 2200-1800 B.C.
Diameter: 3 3/8 inches (8.6 cm.)
Seals in the ancient world functioned somewhat like modern passports. Each important individual had his own unique seal confirming his identity and ownership of property wherever the seal was used. This remarkable stamp seal takes the form of a disk, a male figure stands between a pair of writhing snakes in the center. Usually the designs on such seals were of an abstract, geometric nature. Some however are figurative and of these just a few have engraving on the reverse. Here on the back of this seal, the god or hero’s face, beard, muscles and short little kilt are drawn so fluidly that every sinew of his body conveys a powerful exuberance. |
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