Anatolian Serpentine Seal

Culture: Anatolia

Period: Early 3rd millennium B.C.

Material: Serpentine

Dimensions: 3 cm x 1.9 cm

Price: Sold

Ref: 6482

Provenance: From the German collection Gustav Oberländer (1926-2012).

Condition: Intact

Description: Rare and upscale worked out seal of greenish-black serpentine in rectangular form. The surface is smooth polished. The upper part of the seal shows two animals with overlong, slender limbs, a deer on the right and a stylized creature standing upright on the left. In the lower register a lying billy goat with a long beard and overly long horns is shown. On the back a label with the collection number 1838. In ancient times seals guaranteed the authenticity of labelled properties. As such, they served for legal transactions and protected good from theft. Usually, these seals were worn around the neck or on a belt, where they always were handy.