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Weight-shaped seal with silver mounting. Side view of bottom surface with carved lion and bull in combat. (Courtesy of the Vedat Nedim Tör Museum, Istanbul) -
Weight-shaped seal with silver mounting. Detail of bottom surface with carved lion and bull in combat. (Courtesy of the Vedat Nedim Tör Museum, Istanbul)
Weight-shaped seal with silver mounting
The Lydians and their World
(2010)
Cat. 121
- Date
- Late Lydian (Persian)
- Museum
- Istanbul, Archaeological Museum, 4523
- Museum Inventory No.
- 4523
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- IAM 4523
- Material
- Silver, Stone
- Object Type
- Jewelry and Ornaments, Seal
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- Nec
- Trench
- Butler Tomb 18
- Locus
- Butler Tomb 18
- Description
- “Agate (?) weight-shaped seal, with corroded silver mounting of heavy wire forming a large ring (1.1 cm outside diameter) from which extend two wires clasping the sides of the stone and terminating in thickened swellings at the point where a pin runs through the stone. Two short projections protrude laterally from the top of the stone. The bottom surface is carved in intaglio, with a lion and bull in combat on a ground line. The bull faces left and is on its knees, with its head thrown back and mouth open; the lion attacks it from the side, clawing with its hind paws at the bull’s chest and seizing the bull’s back with its teeth as it grips it with its forepaws. An elaborate star and crescent are in the field above the animals’ heads; a floral symbol appears above the bull’s haunch” (Dusinberre). Total height 2.4 cm, height of stone 1 cm, diameter 1.75 cm.
- Comments
- From Sardis, Tomb 18. From the same tomb came gold band no. 13, chain no. 42, pendant no. 50, earrings nos. 60 and 82, and seal no. 123 (Curtis).
- See Also
- Dusinberre, “Seals”.
- Bibliography
- Curtis 1925, no. 121.
- Author
- ED