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.

Sacred tree flanked by worshiper and by mouflon

between 725 B.C. and 700 B.C.
black serpentine ;
Morgan Seal 648
Description
1 cylinder seal : black serpentine ; 38.5 x 14 mm
Provenance
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes
"Seal 648 presents a somewhat debased rendering of the usual theme of this group. Only one worshiper and part of a stream are depicted; the second worshiper is replaced by an animal. This cylinder should probably be dated in the latter part of the eighth century, when linear-style seals were executed more and more carelessly."--Porada, CANES, p. 77
Summary
Tree flanked on left by worshiper with stream flowing from his hand, on right by rampant mouflon; above tree, winged sun disk -- In sky, star, crescent, wedge, seven globes -- Terminal: stylus.
Classification
Place
Southern Mesopotamia.
Department