A finely rendered Western Asiatic stamp seal formed from a rich brown hardstone. The seal features an oval flat face with a domed back. The flat face of the seal has been carved with a reclining zoomorphic figure with long horn, a large hump on its back, and a long curving tail. Some wear to the surface consistent with age. The seal is perforated horizontally for suspension. 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 2.1cm x H 1.8cm Provenance: Ex major SM., London, Collection 1970-2010.