Ancient Near East, Sumer, Late Uruk Period, ca. 3300 to 3100 BCE; Mesopotamia, ca. 2200 to 1800 BCE. A fine set of 4 hand-carved stone stamp seals of cylindrical and hemispherical forms from across the ancient Near East. First is a Sumerian black stone stamp with a hemispherical body with a laterally drilled suspension hole and a series of impressed spots along the bottom. Next is an opaque white Mesopotamian seal fragment depicting a man standing with a bull as well as an abstract winged creature. The final 2 stamp seals are carved from lightweight stone and covered in faint layers of light blue glaze - 1 with a series of figures and standing ibexes, and the other with an archer holding a bow while hunting ibexes. Size of largest (Sumerian): 1.2" L x 1.125" W (3 cm x 2.9 cm)

Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010; (2 intact Mesopotamian seals) ex-David Bar Levav collection, The Ancient Coin, The Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem, Israel

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#168977

The opaque white Mesopotamian cylinder seal is a fragment of a larger composition as shown; remaining 3 pieces are intact and very good. All Mesopotamian seals have modern green putty remains on their surfaces as well as softening to some finer details. Nice preservation to most forms. Fragmentary cylinder seal accompanied by modern putty rollout, and Sumerian stamp accompanied by modern putty stamp.