A finely engraved Sassanian stamp seal of a domed shape made from black stone. Carved on the flat side is a recumbent, zoomorphic figure, possibly a dog or a lion. The seal is horizontally perforated, suggesting that the piece might have served as a personal ornament. 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 2.2cm x H 1.6cm Provenance: Ex major S.M., London, Collection 1970-2010.