Description:

**Originally listed at 700**

Ancient Near East, Mesopotamia, Early Dynastic Period, ca. 2400 to 2300 BCE. Made of a grey-black serpentine, this is a fine cylinder seal, drilled through for suspension or ease of rolling, that shows a skirted figure, a bird with wings spread, and various devices on a flat background. Size: 0.8" L x 0.45" W (2 cm x 1.1 cm)

Cylinder seals played a major role in the daily life of the Mesopotamians. Known as kishib in Sumerian and kunukku in Akkadian, royals, government officials, scribes, and slaves used them to transact business and send correspondence. They were worn around the neck or wrist and served as a signature and a guarantee, rolled into the moist clay of accounting and governance documents. They also link our modern world to the past - thousands of years ago, people were concerned with security and authenticity for the documents that they used to conduct business. Cylinder seals were a technological solution to a pressing problem, and their scenes are often complex to prevent forgery and identity individuals.

Provenance: Ex-Private New York Collection, ex-Art for Eternity.

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#119556

  • Condition: Slight surface wear; comes with rolled clay showing its design.

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June 26, 2017 9:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000