Cylinder seal and modern impression: suppliant goddess
Although engraved stones had been used as early as the seventh millennium B.C. to stamp impressions in clay, the invention in the fourth millennium B.C. of carved cylinders that could be rolled over clay allowed the development of more complex seal designs. These cylinder seals, first used in Mesopotamia, served as a mark of ownership or identification. Seals were either impressed on lumps of clay that were used to close jars, doors, and baskets, or they were rolled onto clay tablets that recorded information about commercial or legal transactions. The seals were often made of precious stones. Protective properties may have been ascribed to both the material itself and the carved designs. Seals are important to the study of ancient Near Eastern art because many examples survive from every period and can, therefore, help to define chronological phases. Often preserving imagery no longer extant in any other medium, they serve as a visual chronicle of style and iconography.
The modern impression of the seal is shown so that the entire design can be seen. This seal shows a suppliant goddess in bordered robe facing a four-line cuneiform inscription in Akkadian: "…, son of Raimkiti, servant of [the god] Sîn and [the god] Martu."
The modern impression of the seal is shown so that the entire design can be seen. This seal shows a suppliant goddess in bordered robe facing a four-line cuneiform inscription in Akkadian: "…, son of Raimkiti, servant of [the god] Sîn and [the god] Martu."
Artwork Details
- Title: Cylinder seal and modern impression: suppliant goddess
- Period: late Old Babylonian–early Kassite
- Date: ca. 17th–16th century BCE
- Culture: Babylonian or Kassite
- Medium: Feldspar
- Dimensions: 7/8 × 3/8 × 3/8 in. (2.2 × 1 × 1 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Georg Hahn, 1947
- Object Number: 47.115.4
- Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Kassite
ca. mid-2nd millennium BCE
ca. 19th century BCE
Babylonian
ca. 2000–1600 BCE
Kassite
ca. 1307–1282 BCE
Kassite
ca. 16th–12th century BCE
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
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 complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.