Important Neo-Hittite Stone Cylinder Seal Hunting Scene

Ancient Near East/Western Asia, Anatolia, Neo-Hittite, ca. 1200 to 800 BCE. Wow! A stunningly carved pale orange stone cylinder seal, pierced vertically for suspension, featuring two registers of motifs separated by a narrow band of cuneiform. The upper register contains two ibexes standing on either side of a tall tree; a standing god is behind them, arms raised with implements in the hands. The lower features a hunting scene of a kilted archer and two horned ungulates, one larger, the other smaller. Another human figure stands behind the archer. Crescent moons and the eight-sided Star of Ishtar or Inanna are in the sky above them. Size: 0.5" W x 1.7" H (1.3 cm x 4.3 cm); 2.75" H (7 cm) on included custom stand.

The artist who carved this seal did an incredible job - the details are truly remarkable, especially of the animals' fur. The stars of Ishtar emphasize the spiritual affiliation of its wearer. Ishtar was associated with war, fertility, and sexuality . The Bible, in both Kings and Chronicles, warned the ancient Israelites against worshipping her because of the dangerous nature of her sexuality. However, to the ancient Anatolians and Mesopotamians, her power was important, and they practiced a ceremony of Sacred Marriage to associate themselves with her mythical lover Dumuzi in order to gain her favor.

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.

See a similar scene of an archer hunting horned creatures on a Neo-Hittite cylinder seal at the British Museum (1912,0711.2).

Provenance: private Zaveloff collection, Lakewood, New Jersey, USA, acquired before 2004

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.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#151463
Condition Report: Excellent condition, with light signs of wear commensurate with age such as small chips and nicks and rubbing around the suspension hole. The motifs are beautifully preserved. Comes with modern clay roll out.