2nd C. Sassanian Stone Stamp Seal Bead

**Originally Listed At $500**

Ancient Near East / Central Asia, Sasanian (Sassanian / Sassanid) Empire, ca. 2nd to 7th century CE. A large, near-translucent quartz stamp seal bead with a flat, ovoid face and a domed body pierced through for suspension. The face has been incised to feature two bars with curved terminals, a crescent atop that, an abstract symbol that resembles the heads of two ibexes below it. The iconography is encircled with a laurel-like border. These symbols probably represent a specific clan or tribe. Size: 0.55" W x 0.5" H (1.4 cm x 1.3 cm); 3" H (7.6 cm) on included custom stand.

See a very similar example in the Smithsonian's Ancient Near East Seal Collection (F1993.15.56).

Provenance: private Zaveloff collection, Lakewood, New Jersey, USA, acquired from Venus Gallery, Israel, in 2002

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

#155618
Condition Report: Small chip from one side, otherwise in beautiful condition with a very clear incised motif with rich deposits in the lower profile areas.