A Western Asiatic bronze seal stamp featuring a roughly rounded body, a flat back, and an elaborate curved design that is hard to interpret. A handle with a loop is mounted on the reverse. Patination covers the surface. The face of the seal has a beautiful polished finish. The piece is accompanied by a paper description signed by Professor W. G. Lambert, the famous Assyriologist. 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: W 2.1cm x H 1.5cm Provenance: Ex private collection, SM, London, acquired 1970-2000s.