A finely engraved Sasanian stamp seal formed from carnelian. The seal is circular in shape with a domed back. The flat face of the seal has been carved with a quadruped, standing on its hind legs with the front legs raised. The animal is portrayed with a short snout, a mane, and a long tail. The seal is perforated for suspension. There is a hairline crack across the flat face and continues on one side of the domed back. Some encrustations and signs of wear, such as minor chips, scratches, and indentations, to the surface. Seals were often made of stone however there are also examples rendered in bone, ivory, faience, glass, metal, wood, and even sun-dried or baked clay. In the ancient world, seals guaranteed the authenticity of marked ownership – as such, they were instrumental in legal transactions, and in the protection of goods against theft. Seal amulets with stylised animals have been found throughout Mesopotamia in contexts dating to the late fourth millennium BC, although stamp seals and cylinder seals were the predominant types in the ancient Near East. Measurements: (circa) W 1.4cm x H 1.2cm Provenance: Ex major SM., London, Collection 1970-2010.