Drop-shaped (tanged) pendant seal and modern impression: quadrupeds
Unknown Artist
ca. 4500–3500 BCE
Medium
Black-green chlorite or steatite
Dimensions
Seal Face: 1.8 x 1.7 cm Height: 0.54 String Hole: 0.2
Classification
Stone-Stamp Seals
Period
Late Ubaid–Middle Gawra
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, 1893
Accession Number
93.17.122
Tags
About this artwork
Drop-shaped (tanged) pendant seal and modern impression: quadrupeds by Unknown Artist, ca. 4500–3500 BCE. Created in Black-green chlorite or steatite, this work exemplifies the artistic practices and cultural values of its period. The piece reflects the technical skills and aesthetic sensibilities characteristic of its historical and cultural context. As part of the Ancient Near Eastern Art collection, it contributes to our understanding of artistic development and cultural expression. The work ...
Art Historical Context
This exquisite drop-shaped pendant seal, around 4500–3500 BCE during the Late Ubaid Middle Gawra periods in ancient Mesopotamia, showcases the ingenuity of early Near Eastern artisans. Fashioned from black-green chlor or steatite—a yet durable stone ideal for fine carving—the tiny seal measures just 1.8 x 1.7 cm on its face, with a tanged design and string hole suggesting it doubled as wearable jewelry or an amulet. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1893, it belongs to the Stone-Stamp Seals collection in Ancient Near Eastern Art. The seal's intaglio surface features quadrupeds—lik...