Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Ancient Near East/Central Asia, Sasanian (Sassanian/Sassanid) Empire, ca. 2nd to 7th century CE. An opaque warm brown stone cylinder seal depicting a prancing horse, a leaping lion and a bird in flight. Each carved in deep relief, drilled vertically through the center, holes slightly ovoid. Size: 1.125" L x .25" W (2.9 cm x 0.6 cm)

Cylinder seals played a major role in the daily life of the Ancient Near East. 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 identify individuals.

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173664

  • Condition: Intact and choice.

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April 6, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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