Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Male figure before goddess drawing aside her mantle

between 1650 B.C. and 1350 B.C.
hematite ;
Morgan Seal 945
Description
1 cylinder seal : hematite ; 23 x 11 mm
Provenance
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes
"In 945 and 946, the nude female is partly clothed, but the mantle falling over one leg, far from covering her nudity, serves only to accentuate it. This is especially true in 945, where she is shown holding the mantle to one side. The male personage facing her in 946 is clad much like the worshiper in 910. in what has been judged to be royal attire (in 945 only his cap is like that in 910). The fact that the nude female usually appears with a mantle in scenes in which she is associated with such a personage, for example in Louvre A.934, may indicate that this rendering illustrates her specific aspect in relation to that figure, presumably a king."--Porada, CANES, p. 124-125
Summary
Male figure before goddess drawing aside her mantle, bird perched on her finger -- Secondary motif: two sitting lions, facing, above guilloche -- Below it, ibex pawed by griffin.
Classification
Department