A finely engraved Western Asiatic stamp seal formed from a dark brown hardstone. The seal is hemispherical in shape with an oval flat face at the base. This face has been carved with the image of a horned quadruped, possibly an ibex, depicted recumbent, looking back. The anatomical features have been carefully engraved, including its narrow bent legs, curving body, and short tail, although the facial features are now worn with age. The dome of the seal is perforated for suspension. Some scratches to the engraved face. Chips and dents to the domed reverse. Seals were most typically 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 (approx.): L 1.7cm, W 1.6cm Provenance: Ex SM collection London, acquired 1970s-2000s.