A finely engraved Sasanian stamp seal formed from a beautiful light brown agate. The seal is hemispherical in shape, featuring a flat oval face at the base. The face has been carved with the depiction of a horned quadruped, reclining with its legs folded under its body. The animal has been depicted in a stylised manner with long legs, round eye, long horns and a long tail. Linear incisions enrich the body of the animal. To the left of the animal are further incisions decorating the background. The dome of the seal is perforated longitudinally for suspension. Signs of wear as consistent with age, such as minor chips and scratches to the surface and edges. 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: L 2.2cm x W 1.5cm x H 2cm Provenance: Ex major S.M., London, Collection 1970-2010.