Sumerian cylinder seal with an unusual early farming scene
W151£600.00
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An unusual and interesting black steatite cylinder seal decorated with an animal husbandry scene. The seal depicts a standing figure driving three geese or ducks towards a tall thin roosting coop, beyond this are two recumbent sheep or goats next to a triangular pen. The design of the pen indicates that it was constructed from three upright timbers with woven reeds or sticks to form the walls around an arched opening.
The design of the pen is reminiscent of construction methods still used in the Southern Iraqi marshes and the overall composition of the seal decoration suggests an origin towards the Arabian Gulf rather than upper Mesopotamia. The seal decoration is a testament of early farming from the region known as the Cradle of Civilisation.
Culture
Southern Mesopotamia or Arabian Gulf, Sumerian, 4th Millennium BC
Size
2.2 x 2 cms
Condition
Surface wear as shown, supplied with an epoxy resin seal impression
Provenance
Ex. collection, George Withers (1946-2023), Bath, UK; acquired on the UK art market from the late 1960’s onwards