A Western Asiatic bronze compartmented stamp seal shaped like a horned quadruped, possibly an ibex. The animal is depicted stylistically with a square body, short legs and tail and a small head with the outline of long curving horns. The design is divided into four uneven segments. A wide loop for suspension features to the reverse. Earthly encrustations and a green patina to the surface. Signs of wear as consistent with age, such as chipping to the raised edges of the segments and scratches. 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 3.3cm x H 3cm Provenance: Ex private collection, SM, London, acquired 1970-2000s.