Tickets
English
DonateMembership
Tickets

Seal ring: horned animals flanking a tree

ca. 10th–8th century BCE
Not on view
This is a bronze ring with an intaglio image carved on it. The image shows a stylized plant with cone-shaped fronds flanked by two horned creatures. Behind each creature is a rosette, and above them is a cuneiform inscription reading "dingir mesh tuk" in Sumerian – part of a prayer.

This ring was excavated at Surkh Dum, a settlement site in Luristan in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran It was part of a large hoard of objects buried beneath a doorjamb in a structure interpreted as a sanctuary; thus the objects were probably offerings made for a god. In all likelihood the ring was used a seal before being deposited in the sanctuary.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Seal ring: horned animals flanking a tree
  • Period: Iron Age II
  • Date: ca. 10th–8th century BCE
  • Geography: Iran, Luristan, Surkh Dum
  • Culture: Iran
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 1 in. (2.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1943
  • Object Number: 43.102.13
  • Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Openwork pin with a squatting female, Bronze, Iran
Openwork pin with a squatting female
Iran
ca. 8th–7th century BCE
Seal ring: bird above a horned animal, Bronze, Iran
Seal ring: bird above a horned animal
Iran
ca. 10th–8th century BCE
Head of a pin: seated figure with cap, Copper, Iran
Head of a pin: seated figure with cap
Iran
ca. 8th–7th century BCE
Seal ring and modern impression: horned animal, Bronze
Seal ring and modern impression: horned animal
ca. 8th–7th century BCE
Head of pin, Bronze, Iran
Head of pin
Iran
ca. 8th–7th century BCE

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.