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Pyramidal stamp seal with gold mounting. View of bottom surface with carved goat-sphinx. (Courtesy of the Vedat Nedim Tör Museum, Istanbul) -
Pyramidal stamp seal with gold mounting. Side view of stone with bottom surface with carved goat-sphinx. (Courtesy of the Vedat Nedim Tör Museum, Istanbul)
Pyramidal stamp seal with gold mounting
The Lydians and their World
(2010)
Cat. 129
- Date
- Late Lydian (Persian)
- Museum
- Istanbul, Archaeological Museum, 4641
- Museum Inventory No.
- 4641
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- IAM 4641
- Material
- Gold, Stone
- Object Type
- Jewelry and Ornaments, Seal
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- Nec
- Trench
- Butler Tomb 811
- Locus
- Butler Tomb 811
- Description
- “Chalcedony pyramidal stamp seal with gold mounting. The mounting is a gold strip terminating on either side with a carefully executed duck’s head with a long broad bill; the ducks’ eyes are shown, and the feathers on the backs of their heads are indicated by minute hatching. A pin runs through the stone and connects inside the ducks’ heads. A suspension ring is formed of three gold wires, of which the central is the heaviest; the outer wires are beaded. The sealing surface is carved in intaglio, with a crouching winged bearded goat-sphinx facing left, with a broad knobbed horn. It raises its right forepaw. Above its haunch is a symbol resembling a pointed U with looped ends. Total height 2.95 cm, height of stone 2.15 cm, engraved face 1.6 cm broad.
- Comments
- From Sardis, Tomb 811. “Found in SE corner of a tomb from which came also rings nos. 90 (here No. 122) and 97 [found on the finger of the skeleton in the sarcophagus]” (Curtis).
- See Also
- Dusinberre, “Seals”.
- Bibliography
- Curtis 1925, no. 109.
- Author
- ED