A characterful grey stone Mesopotamian cylinder seal incised with a repeating motif, seemingly an abstract stylisation of human figures linking hands. The seal is perforated longitudinally for suspension. The piece is accompanied by an impression, as pictured. 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: H 2.3cm x W 0.9cm Provenance: From Ex. Cotswold collection, 1980. A large part of the collection was sold by a Cirencester Auction in November 2018.