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Designs cast in sunken relief.
Chinese
5 5/8 x 7 9/16 in. (14.3 x 19.2 cm)
medium: bronze
culture: Chinese
dynasty: Western Zhou [Chou] Dynasty
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
This seal, depicting a human-headed griffin attacking a horse, has the detailed modeling of musculature characteristic of Middle Assyrian period art. The use of an empty background highlights the drama of the contest and marks a turning point in Assyrian art later expressed on a large scale in carved palace reliefs. The cuneiform inscription records the owner's name: "seal of Silliya."
Cylinder seals are cylindrical objects carved in reverse (intaglio) in order to leave raised impressions when rolled into clay. Seals were generally used to mark ownership, and they could act as official identifiers, like a signature, for individuals and institutions. A seal’s owner rolled impressions in wet clay to secure property such as baskets, letters, jars, and even rooms and buildings. This clay sealing prevented tampering because it had to be broken in order to access a safeguarded item. Cylinder seals were often made of durable material, usually stone, and most were drilled lengthwise so they could be strung and worn. A seal’s material and the images inscribed on the seal itself could be protective. The artistry and design might be appreciated and considered decorative as well. Cylinder seals were produced in the Near East beginning in the fourth millennium BCE and date to every period through the end of the first millennium BCE.
Assyrian
H: 1 9/16 x Diam: 9/16 in. (3.9 x 1.5 cm)
medium: violet and white stone
culture: Assyrian
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
America, Massachusetts, 18th century
kidskin
Average: 24.8 x 9.6 cm (9 3/4 x 3 3/4 in.)
Gift of Mrs. David Moore
This rare, dramatic object served as the back support of a litter carried by human porters, a mode of transport reserved for honored members of many societies without draft animals or wheeled vehicles. The simple, bold figures—perhaps a Chimú lord and four officials—all wear wide collars, tunics, and crescent headdresses that are either brightly painted or covered with golden but now-corroded sheet metal. The holes at the bottom probably served as lashing points for a beam that supported the litter's seat.
Central Andes, North Coast, Chimú people, late Intermediate period
mixed media: wood, gold alloy, pigment, shell inlay
Overall: 60.4 x 95 cm (23 3/4 x 37 3/8 in.)
Did you know...
Cinnabar, a toxic mercuric sulfide, was used to color the red background and faces of the figures.
John L. Severance Fund
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