between 2112 and 2004 B.C.
black and dark-green serpentine
23 x 11.5 mm
Morgan Seal 271
Provenance:
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes:
"The contest scenes of the period of the Third Dynasty of Ur are characterized by a scheme of three figures, usually one victim between two assailants. A distinctive feature is the appearance of the lion-griffin as the object of assault (268-270) ... The assignment of 270-273 to this period is questionable, however, since it is based only on the fact that their scenes embody the scheme of three figures ... The attire of the figures is exceptional and suggests peripheral origin."--Porada, CANES, p. 34
Summary:
Center: lion attacked by god in crosshatched garment and by hero with high square cap and crosshatched garment hanging down between his legs.
Place:
Southern Mesopotamia.
Period:
Catalog link:
Classification:
Department: