A finely incised large Neo-Assyrian agate seal with a knob handle. Carved on one side is a square scene with an anthropomorphic creature with a bull's head and large spread wings looking to the left. On either side of the figure is a rearing quadruped, a gazelle or a goat. The handle to the reverse is pierced for suspension. 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 3.5cm x L 3.5cm x H 3cm Provenance: Ex S.M. Collection, 1970s-1990s