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This seal depicts a human headed, winged lion wearing a horned crown, with an inverted crescent in the field above him. The scene also incorporates a cuneiform inscription in three registers. Part of the seal has been damaged. 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
- 9
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 104478394c5d85be
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 4549
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
{
"id": "4549",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.808",
"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Cylinder Seal with a Contest Scene and an Inscription",
"description": "This seal depicts a human headed, winged lion wearing a horned crown, with an inverted crescent in the field above him. The scene also incorporates a cuneiform inscription in three registers. Part of the seal has been damaged. 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": "late 2nd millenium BCE (Neo-Babylonian or Neo-Assyrian)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.808",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"genreSpecific": [
"Precious Stones & Gems",
"cylinder seals"
],
"iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_42.808_SideA_DD_T06.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_42.808_SideA_DD_T06.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_42.808_SideA_DD_T06.jpg",
"imageCount": 9,
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"source": "import",
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],
"dimensionsRaw": "H: 15/16 x Diam: 3/8 in. (2.4 x 0.9 cm)"
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "4549",
"label": "Cylinder Seal with a Contest Scene and an Inscription",
"core": "obj",
"dtoType": "object",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.808"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "4549",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.808",
"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Cylinder Seal with a Contest Scene and an Inscription",
"description": "This seal depicts a human headed, winged lion wearing a horned crown, with an inverted crescent in the field above him. The scene also incorporates a cuneiform inscription in three registers. Part of the seal has been damaged. 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": "late 2nd millenium BCE (Neo-Babylonian or Neo-Assyrian)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.808",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"genreSpecific": [
"Precious Stones & Gems",
"cylinder seals"
],
"iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_42.808_SideA_DD_T06.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_42.808_SideA_DD_T06.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_42.808_SideA_DD_T06.jpg",
"imageCount": 9,
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"source": "import",
"dimensions": [
{
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}
],
"dimensionsRaw": "H: 15/16 x Diam: 3/8 in. (2.4 x 0.9 cm)"
}
Document source extras
{
"cul": "Neo-Babylonian or Neo-Assyrian",
"inscriptions": "[Transliteration] 1. sza2 {d}pa-kur-kur _dingir-me_ 2. _ur#_ mu-ni-gal 3. {d}amar-gesz [https://cdli.ucla.edu/search/archival_view.php?ObjectID=P272885]",
"med": "yellow transparent stone",
"creator_ids": [
"1881",
"7763"
],
"collection_ids": [
"ANE"
],
"exhibition_ids": []
}
Page context
{
"seq": 9,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/raw/CUR_42.808_VwA_UK.jpg",
"mediaId": "104478394c5d85be"
}