Sassanian Stone Stamp Seal Bead with Antelope Intaglio

Near East, Persia, Sassanian Empire. A domed stamp seal bead carved from a translucent, milky white stone. The polished dome rises over a flat oval face, and the face is cut in intaglio with a recessed field showing an antelope. Its soft, frosted contours come alive when pressed into clay or wax. Seals like this were usually pierced through the dome so they could hang on a cord or be strung with other beads. The owner could then wear the seal as an ornament while keeping it close at hand. Horned animals such as the antelope, gazelle, and ibex are among the most popular devices in Sassanian glyptic art. They probably served as a personal emblem and may also have been seen as a sign of good fortune. Under the Sassanian dynasty, the seal was a working instrument of administration and personal identity. Officials, priests, merchants, and private individuals all pressed their seals into clay bullae to secure documents, sacks, and storage jars, and thousands of these impressions have survived. Personal seals most often carry an animal, a bust, or a monogram, sometimes with a short legend in Middle Persian (Pahlavi) script. The domed, pierced form with an oval face became the standard shape for Sassanian stamp seals. Item # 159024

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