NEO-ASSYRIAN RED JASPER CYLINDER SEAL WITH TWO STANDING WINGED LION-GRIFFIN FACING EACHOTHER, CIRCA

拍品描述

NEO-ASSYRIAN RED JASPER CYLINDER SEAL WITH TWO STANDING WINGED LION-GRIFFIN FACING EACHOTHER, CIRCA 900-750 B.C. Carved from rich red jasper with a smooth, lustrous surface, this finely engraved cylinder seal depicts two winged lion-griffins confronting one another in a heraldic composition. Each creature stands upright with one foreleg raised, their wings outspread and their crested heads turned in profile. Between them appears a small recumbent animal, possibly a goat, rendered in delicate intaglio. The design is enclosed within a pair of linear borders, preserving crisp detail throughout. The seal’s surface shows minor wear and faint mineral accretions consistent with burial. The perforation through the centre is neatly drilled, indicating its use for stringing or mounting. The accompanying impression clearly reveals the balanced symmetry and controlled linear style typical of Neo-Assyrian glyptic art. Cylinder seals such as this served both administrative and protective purposes, functioning as personal identifiers when rolled over clay tablets or jar stoppers. The imagery of confronting hybrid creatures was associated with divine guardianship, power, and royal authority in Assyrian visual culture. Height: 3.1cm

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