Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Goddess with star and crescent and man on one knee with winged gate on back of kneeling bull

between 2340 B.C. and 2150 B.C.
shell ;
Morgan Seal 228
Description
1 cylinder seal : shell ; 39 x 24 mm
Provenance
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes
Cylinder damaged.
[Seals] 224-233, which are executed with varying degrees of care, all show the bull kneeling. Usually a seated goddess holds one end of a cord that seems to pass through the gate, while a male attendant, who is standing or kneeling or possibly floating in the air, holds the other end." Porada, CANES, p. 28
Summary
Seated goddess, with star and crescent beside her in sky, raising hand toward one wing of gate that rests on kneeling bull before her -- Man on one knee touching second wing of gate and holding gate cord.
Classification
Place
Southern Mesopotamia.
Department