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A black intaglio object made of serpentine in the shape of a cylinder. It is carved with the image of a seated man on it. He wears a long skirt and holds his hands up to a crescent shape. There are carved lines that wrap along the sides.

A black intaglio object made of serpentine in the shape of a cylinder. It stands upright on a grey background. It is carved with the image of a seated man who faces the viewer’s right. He wears a long skirt, a long beard, and he holds his hands up to a crescent shape above. The top and bottom sides are flat and each have a band of carved, pointed lines around them. There are carved lines that wrap along the sides. There is a chip on the bottom-right of the piece.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1993.203
Title
Cylinder Seal: Banquet Scene
Classification
Seals
Work Type
seal
Date
c. 883-612 BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Mesopotamia
Period
Neo-Assyrian period
Culture
Mesopotamian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/293334

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
Serpentine; chip on lower edge
Technique
Intaglio
Dimensions
3.5 x 1.1 cm (1 3/8 x 7/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Marcopoli collection, Aleppo, (by 1984). McLendon collection, (by 1993), sold; [through Christie's, New York, June 14, 1993, lot 265], sold; to Harvard University Art Museums, 1993.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Marian H. Phinney Fund
Accession Year
1993
Object Number
1993.203
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
Seated king in a fringed robe holding a cup, facing a vessel stand and a beardless attendant with a flag-shaped fan; tree, star, and crescent.

Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 3440 Middle East, Harvard Art Museums, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

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