A seal impression of a cylinder seal of the Scribe Adda 2200BC. It is beautifully executed with
incredible detail, showing the skill of the artisan who carved it into the curved surface of the seal
over 4000 years ago. The impression depicts several characters from ancient Sumerian
mythology and is interpreted by some as a parallel to components of the story of the flood.

It comes with a full description of all aspects of the imagery depicted here, and is mounted on a
black Plexiglas display. Impression is 80 x 20mm and comes with a display stand.

NOTE: No seal is supplied, only the impression.

$29.95AUD plus P&H QUOTE ADDASEALIMP1

HOW WERE SEALS USED?

Seals were used for many purposes in ancient times....

Seals in most cases were used somewhat like how we use our signature today. In the image
above, an Assyrian Diplomatic tablet, you can see two different types of seals used on a clay
tablet surrounded by cuneiform text. The top and bottom seals are essentially the same, being
cylinder seal impressions that were rolled across the soft clay, while the centre seal is a convex
stamp seal impression. The two seals verify the contents of the document as being genuine and
approved the the signers. 

See our Mesopotamian page for more examples.

 Sassanian Cylinder

 
A huge 80 x 20mm cylinder seal from the Sassanian Empire of present day Iran dated 226 -
651AD. In the early third century AD in the province of Fars in southwestern Persia there
came under the control  a local dynasty called the Sassanid. They were a race of Indo-
Europeans that moved East into Mesopotamia. In AD 224 the leader defeated and killed
the last Parthian ruler in battle. In the following years a long line of some forty Sassanian
kings ruled the country, and the period was one marked by prosperity and the power. This
is a very dramatic seal with large graphic figures. Compare its size to the 20c piece.

$29.95AUD plus P&H QUOTE SCSL1

  

Assyrian Square Shaped Cylinder Seal

 
A very unusual almost square shaped cylinder seal from ancient Assyria with two figures
and text. $19.95AUD plus P&H QUOTE ASCS1

Assyrian Long Cylinder Seal 

A long cylinder seal with 2 levels - Worship scene of a subject before a seated king. 64 x
12mm $25.95AUD plus P&H QUOTE ASLCS1
  

Kassite Brown Stone Cylinder Seal with Text

A replica of a large brown stone cylinder seal cast from an original - a central figure
holding what appears to be a curved sword with 13 vertical lines of cuneiform script, most
likely a long prayer. The Kassites occupied the area of present day southern Iraq  from the
mid second millennium BC to around 1200BC occupying and renaming Babylon for a
short period of time.  This cylinder seal is a classic Kassite design. 28 x 22mm. $29.95AUD
plus P&H QUOTE KCS1

 Assyrian Cylinder Seal

Assyrian Cylinder Seal with a figure before a seated king who holds a cup, and two armed
figures.
 30 x 20mm. $24.95AUD plus P&H QUOTE ACWCS1

Assyrian Ovoid Cylinder Seal

 
Assyrian Cylinder seal of an unusual ovoid shape with a figure before a king and two
armed figures with script. 20 x 29mm. $19.95AUD plus P&H QUOTE ABOCS1

Egyptian Cylinder Seal

  

A replica of an original Early Dynastic and pre-pyramid period cylinder Seal with
hieroglyphs dated to the pre dynastic period. The use of early period cylinder seals in
Egypt show how extensive trade was with Mesopotamia at the time, as the Egyptians made
very little use of clay tablets as a writing media for their own domestic use. Throughout
history, seals both stamp and cylinder have been found in Egypt originating from various
areas across the Near East once again indicating the ongoing international trade in produce
over time.23 x 15mm. $19.95AUD plus P&H QUOTE ECSPD

Etruscan Cylinder Seal c 500BC

$24.95AUD plus P&H = 35 x25mm seal only QUOTE ETCS1

CLEARANCE SALE $14.95AUD plus P&H

 
 Sumerian White Cylinder Seal