A finely incised Akkadian cylindrical seal, made from a mottled dark-grey limestone. The carvings display three figures. One is seated and holds a staff with a crescent terminal. The other two are standing, facing the first figure, and possibly holding offerings. The seal also has some linear, grid-like markings, possibly a stylised text. The seal is pierced longitudinally for suspension. It comes with a modern 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: Circa H 2.9cm x Diameter 1.7cm Provenance: From Ex. Cotswold collection 1980. A large part of the collection was sold by a Cirencester Auction in November 2018.