Neo-Assyrian Serpentinite Cylinder Seal with a Procession of Hybrid Creatures

Culture: Assyrian

Period: 8th-7th Century B.C.

Material: Serpentinite

Dimensions: 3.1 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 6672

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

Condition: Intact, with beautiful patina and traces of ancient use.

Description: Cylinder seal carved from cream-colored serpentinite with black inclusions, depicting a leftward-moving procession. The three four-legged hybrid creatures are shown upright on their hind legs. The largest figure has a human head and arms combined with the fur-covered body of an ungulate and a long tail. The hero or deity wears a bell-shaped helmet and holds a scepter in his raised right hand, while the left arm is bent across the chest. In front of him, a mythical creature with a griffin's head strides on its hind legs, its front legs bent in front of its chest. A pointed object, likely a spear, pierces the furry neck of the beast. The third figure behind the main one also has a human head with helmet and human arms still grasping the spear. Its body is again that of a hoofed animal but distinguished by a pair of wings on its back, identifying this figure as a divine or heroic being. The scene represents the combat of “Masters of Animals” with wild beasts, a symbolic act restoring divine order over the forces of chaos.