between 1400 B.C. and 1300 B.C.
rock crystal ;
Morgan Seal 592
Description
1 cylinder seal : rock crystal ; 27 x 13 mm
Provenance
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes
Cylinder chipped.
"A fourteenth-century dating is indicated for 592 by the fact that the design retains many Mitannian features. There is still a considerable use of the drill, the composition takes in the entire height of the seal, and certain figures--the kneeling bulls, the sphinx, and the griffin--are taken over almost unchanged from Mitannian seal designs." Porada, CANES, p. 68
"A fourteenth-century dating is indicated for 592 by the fact that the design retains many Mitannian features. There is still a considerable use of the drill, the composition takes in the entire height of the seal, and certain figures--the kneeling bulls, the sphinx, and the griffin--are taken over almost unchanged from Mitannian seal designs." Porada, CANES, p. 68
Summary
Center: hero grasping lion at either side, each lion on back of kneeling bull; above each lion, bird of prey; below first lion, kneeling antelope; over whole group, winged sun disk -- Terminal: bird of prey between female sphinx and griffin, each monster resting hind foot on one lion of main motif, other hind foot on small antelope, while forefeet of both monsters rest on crown of palmette tree.
Catalog link
Classification
Place
Southern Mesopotamia.
Department