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On this seal, a figure stands before a sacred tree in a scene of reverence. The barrel shape and the use of agate, an exotic material, indicate that this piece was probably imported as a bead from outside Mesopotamia and later carved into a seal. It attests to the growing trade networks connecting Mesopotamia with central Asia and India. Cylinder seals are cylindrical objects carved in reverse (intaglio) in order to leave raised impressions when rolled into clay. Seals were generally used to mark ownership, and they could act as official identifiers, like a signature, for individuals and institutions. A seal’s owner rolled impressions in wet clay to secure property such as baskets, letters, jars, and even rooms and buildings. This clay sealing prevented tampering because it had to be broken in order to access a safeguarded item. Cylinder seals were often made of durable material, usually stone, and most were drilled lengthwise so they could be strung and worn. A seal’s material and the images inscribed on the seal itself could be protective. The artistry and design might be appreciated and considered decorative as well. Cylinder seals were produced in the Near East beginning in the fourth millennium BCE and date to every period through the end of the first millennium BCE.
Page data
- Page
- 3
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 3b9e24e12f330d7b
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 16794
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
{
"id": "16794",
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"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Cylinder Seal with a Worshipper, a Sacred Tree, and an Inscription",
"description": "On this seal, a figure stands before a sacred tree in a scene of reverence. The barrel shape and the use of agate, an exotic material, indicate that this piece was probably imported as a bead from outside Mesopotamia and later carved into a seal. It attests to the growing trade networks connecting Mesopotamia with central Asia and India. Cylinder seals are cylindrical objects carved in reverse (intaglio) in order to leave raised impressions when rolled into clay. Seals were generally used to mark ownership, and they could act as official identifiers, like a signature, for individuals and institutions. A seal’s owner rolled impressions in wet clay to secure property such as baskets, letters, jars, and even rooms and buildings. This clay sealing prevented tampering because it had to be broken in order to access a safeguarded item. Cylinder seals were often made of durable material, usually stone, and most were drilled lengthwise so they could be strung and worn. A seal’s material and the images inscribed on the seal itself could be protective. The artistry and design might be appreciated and considered decorative as well. Cylinder seals were produced in the Near East beginning in the fourth millennium BCE and date to every period through the end of the first millennium BCE.",
"provenance": "Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Sadie Jones (Mrs. Henry Walters), New York, 1931, by inheritance; Joseph Brummer, Paris and New York, 1941, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1941, by purchase.",
"date": "20th-17th century BCE (Old Babylonian/Isin Larsa)",
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"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
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Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "16794",
"label": "Cylinder Seal with a Worshipper, a Sacred Tree, and an Inscription",
"core": "obj",
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Document source metadata
{
"id": "16794",
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"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Cylinder Seal with a Worshipper, a Sacred Tree, and an Inscription",
"description": "On this seal, a figure stands before a sacred tree in a scene of reverence. The barrel shape and the use of agate, an exotic material, indicate that this piece was probably imported as a bead from outside Mesopotamia and later carved into a seal. It attests to the growing trade networks connecting Mesopotamia with central Asia and India. Cylinder seals are cylindrical objects carved in reverse (intaglio) in order to leave raised impressions when rolled into clay. Seals were generally used to mark ownership, and they could act as official identifiers, like a signature, for individuals and institutions. A seal’s owner rolled impressions in wet clay to secure property such as baskets, letters, jars, and even rooms and buildings. This clay sealing prevented tampering because it had to be broken in order to access a safeguarded item. Cylinder seals were often made of durable material, usually stone, and most were drilled lengthwise so they could be strung and worn. A seal’s material and the images inscribed on the seal itself could be protective. The artistry and design might be appreciated and considered decorative as well. Cylinder seals were produced in the Near East beginning in the fourth millennium BCE and date to every period through the end of the first millennium BCE.",
"provenance": "Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Sadie Jones (Mrs. Henry Walters), New York, 1931, by inheritance; Joseph Brummer, Paris and New York, 1941, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1941, by purchase.",
"date": "20th-17th century BCE (Old Babylonian/Isin Larsa)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.655",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
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],
"dimensionsRaw": "H: 1 1/16 x Diam: 3/8 in. (2.7 x 1 cm)"
}
Document source extras
{
"cul": "Babylonian",
"inscriptions": [
"[Transliteration",
"Cuneiform] 1. a-hu-ni 2. dumu i-si-da-ga-ad [https://cdli.ucla.edu/search/archival_view.php?ObjectID=P272867]"
],
"med": "carved brown and white agate",
"creator_ids": [
"7023"
],
"collection_ids": [
"ANE"
],
"exhibition_ids": []
}
Page context
{
"seq": 3,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/raw/PS1_42.655_SideC_DD_T06.jpg",
"mediaId": "3b9e24e12f330d7b"
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