C. 3100 to 2900 BC – Jemdet Nasr Period

A nice jasper cylinder seal incised with a band of running ibexes or antelope. The ibex symbolized virility, and by extension health, strength, and power.

In Ancient Near East, cylinder seals played a major role in daily life, as they were used by royals, government officials and slaves to conduct business and send correspondence.  These would have been worn around the neck or wrist and served as a signature and a guarantee, by rolling them into the moist clay of accounting and governance documents.

Good condition with nice detail.

Ref: Similar example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 1999.325.1.

Provenance: H. N. Collection, collected in the 1980’s-90’s.

Size: 16mm diam x 18mm tall