Old Babylonian Black Serpentine Cylinder Seal with Ritual Scene, Old Babylonian Period, ca. 2000 - 1600 BCE
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, This well carved black serpentine cylinder seal presents a carefully composed ritual procession. The scene features a horned ibex in a kneeling posture, its head turned back toward a kneeling worshiper in a short fringed kilt. The worshiper is preceded by a standing figure in a similar garment who faces a vertically coiled serpent, possibly a protective or divine symbol.
The figural spacing and stylistic treatment reflect the Old Babylonian period's emphasis on orderly composition and narrative clarity. Seals of this type were often used to mark ownership or secure goods but were also deposited in temples as votive offerings, underscoring their dual administrative and devotional roles. The ibex, a symbol often associated with fertility, mountains, or the divine, adds a layer of symbolism to the ritual procession, likely referencing supplication or a protective invocation.
Medium: Black Serpentine
Dimensions: Height: 0.64 inches (1.63 cm)
Condition: Intact and in very good condition overall.
Provenance: Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Feuer, NY., acquired 1970s - 1980s, thereafter private Virginia collection.
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