Stamp seal

Dome shaped stamp seal with lion motif, couchant to the right. Inscription from 11 o’clock to 2 o’clock.

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Historical period(s)
Sasanian period, 224-651
Medium
Chalcedony
Dimensions
H x W x D: 1.4 Ɨ 1.7 Ɨ 1.3 cm (9/16 Ɨ 11/16 Ɨ 1/2 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Gorelick
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1999.6.57
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Tool and Equipment
Type

Seal

Keywords
dome-shaped seal, Iran, lion, Sasanian Pahlavi script, Sasanian period (ca. 224 - 651), stamp seal
Provenance

From prior to 1973 to 1999
Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Gorelick, Chevy Chase, Maryland, acquired by Dr. Leonard Gorelick before 1973. [1]

From 1999
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Gorelick, Chevy Chase, Maryland. [2]

Notes:

[1] See Curatorial Remark 5 in the object record.

[2] See Deed of Gift, copy in object file, Collections Management Office.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Gorelick

Description

Dome shaped stamp seal with lion motif, couchant to the right. Inscription from 11 o'clock to 2 o'clock.

Label

Dome shaped  stamp seal with lion motif, couchant to the right. Inscription above.  Seals with the motif of a lion have been excavated on sealings or bullae at sites like Takht-e Sulaiman and Qasr Abu Nasr in Iran. In the "Shahname" (Book of Kings) the lion is a conventional term for a great warrior. The lion is a frequent motif on Sasanian seals.

References:

Christopher J. Brunner. 1978. Sasanian Stamp Seals in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Published References
  • Antonietta Catanzariti. The Ancient Near East Seal Collection. Washington. .
Collection Area(s)
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
The Ancient Near East Seal Collection
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