Two facing suppliant goddess with star disk in crescent

Download image: 
between 1650 B.C. and 1350 B.C.
hematite
21.5 x 11 mm
Morgan Seal 960
Provenance: 
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes: 

"A number of cylinders (958-960) picture a winged goddess holding a spear or some other weapon that indicates her martial character. That the figure represents a goddess and not a god is indicated by the headgear, a square horned miter seen only on female deities ... In 959 the goddess appears to be supervising a contest between two gods, one of whom is identified by the crescent on his helmet as associated with the moon. Seal 960 shows her in a chamber formed by guilloches, while outside of this inclosure suppliant goddess are worshiping scorpions, perhaps her symbol. ... The portrayeal of the suppliant goddesses in 960 does not deviate greatly from Old Babylonian examples; this may support a dating of the seal near the time of the First Dynasty of Babylon." . Porada, CANES, p. 128

Summary: 

Two facing suppliant goddesses, between them, star disk in crescent, three scorpions, one above other -- Winged goddess with spear and scimitar in chamber formed by guilloches.

Classification: 
Department: