A finely incised Sumerian cylindrical seal made from pink limestone, dating to the Jemdet Nasr period. It depicts a scene of a scorpion attacking a human figure in a highly stylised manner. The seal is perforated longitudinally for suspension, however is now blocked with earthly encrustations. Some earthly encrustations are visible to the surface. This seal comes with a professionally baked, modern 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: Circa L 2.3cm x W 1 cm Provenance: From Ex. Cotswold collection 1980. A large part of the collection was sold by a Cirencester Auction in November 2018.