A finely incised Neo-Babylonian dome-shaped seal made from a piece of dark red hardstone with streaks of yellow. Carved on the slightly convex base is a genius fighting a quadruped, possibly an ibex, killing it with a spear. It is perforated on the top for suspension. There is a chip to the seal near the perforation. This seal comes with a museum-quality, 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 1.7 cm x W 1.5cm x H 2.1 cm Provenance: Ex S London collection.