Divine World Glyptics
Az i.e. I. évezredi pecséthengerek korpusza
MTA–ELTE Lendület
Újasszír és Újbabiloni Pecséthengerek és Istenvilág Kutatócsoport
| Object no. | S03649 |
| Description of the seal image | The seal image framed by line borders at the top and bottom comprises two scenes. In the contest scene, a bearded hero with six curls grasps a rampant human-headed winged lion (shedu, sphinx) on either side, each by a foreleg. His head and upper body are depicted in frontal view, and he wears a long, broad-belted, fringed and tasselled, open robe over a short tunic. His robe is decorated with a hexagonal pattern. Above his right arm is a vertically-set, one-line cuneiform inscription. The other scene depicts two mouflons flanking a stylised tree in the middle while a wild goat (ibex) with bunched legs stands on its top. On either side of its head are the Sibitti (Pleiades) and a crescent moon, respectively. |
| Figures, motifs/symbols |
- borderlines (2): line borders at the top and bottom - crescent moon - hero: bearded, with six curls, upper body and head in frontal view, wearing a long, broad-belted, fringed, open robe decorated with a hexagonal pattern over a short tunic - human-headed winged lions (shedus, sphinxes) (2): rampant, beardless - inscription: vertically-set, one line, cuneiform - mouflons (2): rampant - Sibitti (Pleiades) - stylised tree - wild goat (ibex): with bunched legs |
| Subcategory | cylinder seal |
| Collection | N/A; formerly The Property of T. Ridha Esq. |
| Condition, shape | chipped upper and lower edges |
| Culture | Assyro-Babylonian |
| Provenance | ex-The Property of T. Ridha Esq., surfaced at Sotheby's (London) 09 and 10–12–1993, lot 236 |
| First occurence | 1993 |
| Dimensions (mm): height, diameter | h: 30, d: no data |
| Material and features | "agate" |
| Style | modelled |
| Scene | animal, contest, dual, ritual |
| Writing system, language | cuneiform: Akkadian |
| Transliteration |
1. dPA–DINGIR(?) |
| Translation | 1. Nabû-ilu. |
| Bibliography |
Sotheby's (London) 09 and 10–12–1993, 66–67 lot 236. Sotheby's (London) 09 and 10–12–1993: Antiquities. |
| Object history | The publications mentioning the objects in this database were collected and the objects classified by ZN; data for the present object was input and preliminary description of the object done by ER based on the relevant publication provided, then the data was checked by ZN, the present object descriptions done by HL, the transliteration and translation of the seal legend done by ZN; object data and description were finalized by ZN (17 March 2026). HL – Huba Lőrincz, ZN – Zoltán Niederreiter, ER – Erika Roboz |