Not on display

Cylinder Seal

c. 20th century bc - c. 18th century BC
Place of origin
Mesopotamia

Stone cylindrical seal engraved with three figures. The cylinder is pierced with a hole through one axis. The main face of the seal has eroded, obscuring the design.

Object details

Object type
Cylinder seal
Brief description
Stone cylinder seal, Ancient Babylonian, c. 20th- 18th century BC
Physical description
Stone cylindrical seal engraved with three figures. The cylinder is pierced with a hole through one axis. The main face of the seal has eroded, obscuring the design.
Dimensions
  • Height: 28mm
  • Width: 12mm
  • Depth: 13mm
Style
Babylonian
Object history
This object was purchased in Iran by Robert Murdoch Smith on behalf of the Museum, from an un-named Persian source in Tehran. It was part of a batch of fifteen objects, including woven and embroidered textiles, metalwork, carved stone and painted pasteboard. Murdoch Smith wrote: "I have purchased [these] objects which I think would be very suitable for the Museum. I will retain them at your disposal should you decide on acquiring them, and if not, I do not object to keeping them myself. It is almost impossible to get Persians to keep such articles pending a reference from London, especially as there are several people now in Teheran ready to buy, notably Baron Reuter's Agent, and one of the members of the Austrian Legation" (V&A Archive).
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
1070-1875

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O382218/cylinder-seal/
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