An intaglio object made of black limestone in the shape of a cylinder. There is an engraved figure of a standing, thin bearded man. On the left are more engraved lines that wrap around the back. The right has straight, engraved lines that are close together.
detail of seal Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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detail of seal Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

An intaglio object made of black limestone in the shape of a cylinder. It stands upright on a dark grey background. There is an engraved figure of a standing, thin bearded man. His body is shown at a side profile with his feet side-by-side and he faces the viewer. On the left are more engraved lines that wrap around the back. These lines look like hooved legs. The right has straight, engraved lines that are close together and make right angles.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1957.195
Title
Cylinder Seal: Combat Scenes
Other Titles
Alternate Title: Cylinder Seal: Nude Bearded Figure wrestles with Water Buffalo
Classification
Seals
Work Type
seal
Date
c. 2334-2193 BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Mesopotamia
Period
Akkadian period
Culture
Mesopotamian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/291419

Location

Location
Level 3, Room 3440, Ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Art, Ancient Middle Eastern Art in the Service of Kings
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Ferruginous Limestone
Technique
Intaglio
Dimensions
H. 3.8 cm (1 1/2 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: Urshag, servant of Idabana

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Edward W. Forbes, Cambridge, MA, (by 1957), gift; to Fogg Art Museum, 1957.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Edward W. Forbes
Accession Year
1957
Object Number
1957.195
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
A nude, bearded figure with curled locks grapples with an upright bull; to the other side of the inscription, the encounter of a lion and bull/bull-man is largely lost.

Exhibition History

  • [Teaching Exhibition], Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, 11/01/1972 - 01/01/1973
  • Impressions of Mesopotamia: Seals from the Ancient Near East, Arthur M. Sackler Museum
  • Re-View: S422 Ancient & Byzantine Art & Numismatics, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 04/12/2008 - 06/18/2011
  • 32Q: 3440 Middle East, Harvard Art Museums, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Collection Highlights

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu