A fine Western Asiatic scaraboid stamp seal formed from an attractive dark red hardstone. The obverse is decorated with incised lines possibly imitating a beetle's carapace, whilst the flat base is decorated with engravings of stylised quadrupeds. A foliage motif feature at the top. The piece is perforated longitudinally for suspension. Minor wear and earthy encrustations to the surface, consistent with age. The piece comes with a museum-quality impression. 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: L 1.8cm x W 1.3cm x H 0.8cm Provenance: From the 'S' collection, acquired 1970-1990s. The collection was seen and studied by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993