SUMERIAN WHITE STONE CYLINDER SEAL WITH TWO SEATED FIGURES AND ONE FIGURE PLAYING HARP, EARLY DYNAST

拍品描述

SUMERIAN WHITE STONE CYLINDER SEAL WITH TWO SEATED FIGURES AND ONE FIGURE PLAYING HARP, EARLY DYNASTY Finely carved from creamy white stone, this elegant cylinder seal presents a lively scene from early Mesopotamian ritual or courtly life. Two seated figures, each wearing the characteristic flounced skirt, face one another across a central composition, their hands raised in gestures of greeting or offering. Between them stands a smaller figure playing a vertical harp, the delicate lines of the instrument carefully incised. To either side, stylised reed bundles or temple furnishings complete the composition. The design is rendered with remarkable clarity and depth, the figures showing the linear treatment and rhythmic composition typical of Early Dynastic glyptic art. The seal’s surface retains traces of ancient wear and light encrustation, with a well-drilled central perforation for suspension. The accompanying modern impression demonstrates the fine balance and narrative flow of the original design. Cylinder seals of this period were used by elites to authenticate transactions and mark ownership, but they also served as miniature works of art that encapsulated mythic or ceremonial imagery central to Sumerian culture. Height: 3cm

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