Object Description
A Southern Levantine scaraboid stamp seal moulded from deep red limestone. The seal’s slightly domed top remains smooth and unadorned whilst the flat base displays a figurative scene divided into two registers. An advancing winged animal, possibly a griffin, features on the upper register. These composite mythological creatures, embodying features of both a lion and an eagle, were associated with power and thought to guard treasures. Below is a schematic alate solar disc depicted with a floral sprout. The seal is pierced longitudinally for suspension, suggesting the owner could have also worn it as an ornament. The item is accompanied by a museum-quality impression.
Date: Circa mid-1st Millennium BC