NEO-BABYLONIAN CHALCEDONY STAMP SEAL WITH PRIEST

Ca. 800 - 600 BC. A chalcedony stamp seal of octagonal pyramidal form with a slightly convex, circular base engraved with a standing figure of a priest clad in a fish cloak. The head and tail extend over the shoulders and legs, respectively. The figure holds a bucket in one hand, while the other is raised. Cut from translucent stone with a faint bluish hue, the body of the seal exhibits eight polished facets converging towards the perforated apex.For similar see: Bonhams, Antiquities, 1 May 2008, Lot 159 (iconography).Size: 15.4mm x 30.5mm; Weight: 9.13gProvenance: Private UK collection; acquired on the French market in the 1980s.