Not currently on display at the V&A

Seal and Impression

Seal
ca. 2500 BC (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Mohenjo Daro (made)

Rectangular seal depicting a standing unicorn or bull with a two-tiered receptacle on a pole beneath its head. There is a row of four pictograms along the top over the beast's body The animal has a harness round its neck and upper body.


Object details

Object type
Seal
TitleSeal and Impression (generic title)
Materials and techniques
White steatite
Steatite
Carved
Brief description
Seal, steatite, Mohenjo Daro, Indus valley, 2500 B.C., Pakistan
Physical description
Rectangular seal depicting a standing unicorn or bull with a two-tiered receptacle on a pole beneath its head. There is a row of four pictograms along the top over the beast's body The animal has a harness round its neck and upper body.
Dimensions
  • Length: 1 1/16in
  • Width: 1in
  • Height: 0.5in
Style
Harappan
Historical context
A large number of seals of this type have been excavated from the Harappan civilization sites of the Indus Valley. The majority are carved with animal figures and a pictographic inscription in a script which still remains undeciphered. The unicorn or horned bull (?) is represented standing before a curious vessel, possibly to be interpreted as a container for the intoxicating soma liquid drunk by priests in Vedic rituals.
Associated object
IS.8:2-1951 (Object)
Bibliographic references
  • Guy, John: 'Indian Temple Sculpture', London, V & A Publication, 2007, p.139, pl.156. ISBN 9781851775095.
  • Parpola, Asko, Pande, B.M. and Koskikallio, Petteri (eds.). Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions. Volume 3: New material, untraced objects, and collections outside India and Pakistan. Part 1: Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. Helsinki 2010. pp. 34 and 415, number M-1727.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.8:1-1951

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Record createdFebruary 14, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O25161/seal-and-impression-seal-unknown/
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