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Source Description
A Zoroastrian fire altar is carved into this chalcedony intaglio, consisting of a pedestal, pillar, and bowl for an eternal flame. A bird perches above the altar bowl and fish flank the pedestal. A carved star decorates the backside. A pierced hole through the gemstone suggests it once hung on a cord around a neck or wrist. Although the fire altar is a Zoroastrian religious symbol, birds and fish also occur in Christian iconography.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
132030
label
Fire Altar Intaglio
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
132030
contentType
object
title
Fire Altar Intaglio
description
A Zoroastrian fire altar is carved into this chalcedony intaglio, consisting of a pedestal, pillar, and bowl for an eternal flame. A bird perches above the altar bowl and fish flank the pedestal. A carved star decorates the backside. A pierced hole through the gemstone suggests it once hung on a cord around a neck or wrist. Although the fire altar is a Zoroastrian religious symbol, birds and fish also occur in Christian iconography.
date
c. 400 CE
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60757634
genreSpecific
Glyptic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 2.4 x 2 x 1.7 cm (15/16 x 13/16 x 11/16 in.)
cul
Iran, Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE), reign of Hormizd II (303–309)
accession
1954.593
Source extras
tec
chalcedony
tombstone
Fire Altar Intaglio, c. 400 CE. Iran, Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE), reign of Hormizd II (303–309). Chalcedony; overall: 2.4 x 2 x 1.7 cm (15/16 x 13/16 x 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1954.593
collection
Near Eastern Art
didYouKnow
Seal stones served as signatures and seals for documents.
creditline
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:48:15.265000
sourceId
132030
dept
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
coll
Near Eastern Art
med
chalcedony
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
49642e70f6deda29