Middle Assyrian Serpentine Cylinder Seal with Trading Scene

Culture: Assyrian

Period: 1200-1050 B.C.

Material: Serpentinite

Dimensions: 2.6 cm high

Price: 1 800 Euro

Ref: 6695

Provenance: From the Austrian collection Danho Abdul Massich, acquired in 1978 and since then in Austria.

Condition: Intact

Description: Rare Middle Assyrian serpentine cylinder seal in the style of narrative realism. The highly detailed scene depicts the course of a commercial transaction. Two bearded men wearing headdresses and with long hair falling down the neck, are traveling with a heavy double-wheeled cart. At the front, one of them urges with a long staff a powerful horse that is adorned with a headdress. The second figure leans out from the rear of the cart and hands over the goods to a third person. The recipient is likewise bearded and wears his hair long, his elegant, vertically pleated clothing is knee-length. Above the cart appears a sun symbol, signifying that the trade takes place under divine protection. This seal, with its rare depiction, likely belonged to a merchant or logistics official who wished to demonstrate that he had attained his wealth through wise business dealings legitimised by the gods.