A finely engraved Western Asiatic stamp seal formed from dark hardstone. The seal is hemispherical in shape with a flat oval face. This face has been carved with the image of a quadruped depicted recumbent, facing right. The anatomical features have been carefully engraved, including its narrow bent legs, curving body, and short tail. An incised cross, possibly intended to be a star motif, features above the animal's back. The dome of the seal is perforated for suspension. Signs of wear as consistent with age, such as chips, surface pitting, and scratches to the surface. 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) L 1.9cm Provenance: Ex major SM, London, Collection 1970-2010.