BCE 0200 Western Asiatic stamp seal

Object/Artifact

Sean Massey & Loren Couch Collections

Name/Title

Description

A finely engraved Western Asiatic stamp seal formed from a dark brown hardstone. The seal is hemispherical in shape with a flat, roughly oval face at the base. This face has been carved with the image of a quadruped, possibly a caprid figure. It has been depicted recumbent, looking forwards towards the left. The anatomical features have been carefully engraved, including its narrow legs folded below its curving body, short, straight horns, and short tail. The dome of the seal is perforated for suspension. Earthly encrustations and signs of wear as consistent with age, such as chips, scratches, and indentations to the surface. Seals were often made of stone however there are also examples rendered in bone, ivory, faience, glass, metal, wood, and even sun-dried or baked clay. In the ancient world, seals guaranteed the authenticity of marked ownership – as such, they were instrumental in legal transactions, and in the protection of goods against theft. Seal amulets with stylised animals have been found throughout Mesopotamia in contexts dating to the late fourth millennium BC, although stamp seals and cylinder seals were the predominant types in the ancient Near East. Measurements: (circa) L 1.8cm x W 1.3cm x H 1.5cm Provenance: Ex major SM, London, Collection 1970-2010. CULTURE Western Asiatic CENTURY/TIMEFRAME Circa 1st Millennium BC NAME OF OBJECT Stamp Seal with a Recumbent Quadruped ACQUIRED FROM Private collection YEAR ACQUIRED 2018 MATERIAL Dark Brown Hardstone COUNTRY ACQUIRED FROM Unknown CONDITION Good PREVIOUS OWNER ACQUIRED FROM Private collection PREVIOUS OWNER - YEAR ACQUIRED 1970 PREVIOUS OWNER - COUNTRY ACQUIRED FROM Unknown I VERIFY THAT I HAVE OBTAINED THIS OBJECT LEGALLY AND THAT I AM ALLOWED TO SELL IT Yes AUTHENTICITY Original/official

Create Date

June 1, 2026

Update Date

June 29, 2026