Sasanian stamp seal
€350
available
Object number
AR3432B
| Object: |
Sasanian stamp seal with winged animal
|
| Material: |
Dark, reddish stone.
|
| Period: |
224 AD to 651 AD, period of Sasanian rule, Late Antiquity. |
| Description: |
Sasanian stamp seal with loop hole. Almost circular cross-section, flattened towards the stamping area. The circular stamp shows a winged animal.
|
| Background: |
The Sassanids became the dominant power in the Near East after their conquest against the Parthians in 220 AD and remained so until the Arab conquest in 642 AD, or politically until the death of the last King Yazdegerd III in 651 AD. This second Persian empire spanned much of modern-day Iran and Iraq, expanding its cultural and economic influence throughout the Near East. The religion of the Sassanids was Zoroastrianism, which is based on the teachings of Zarathustra (Greek spelling Zoroaster). This is still reflected today in a variety of ways in the surviving artefacts, especially in the coins and seals. Sasanian stamp seals usually had an ellipsoidal shape and an engraved stamping area. Stones that shimmered through turned the seals into small pieces of jewellery. The typical large loop hole of the seal made it possible to wear it on elaborate chains or on simple ribbons. The relatively large number of pieces that survived to this day suggests that many people once possessed these seals. Important collections can be found in the major museums (e.g. the Berlin State Museums, the British Museum) as well as in private hands (the Anavian Collection). Researchers disagree on the exact dating and typification of Sasanian seals. Coins from this period are only suitable for a comparison to a limited extent, as there are uncertainties in their dating. The excavation finds are not numerous enough to work out a typology. Since the typical pictorial representation of the seals did not correspond to Islamic culture, the art of seal cutting quickly disappeared after the Arab conquest and the Sassanid culture fell into oblivion. |
| Dimensions: |
10mm height. 11mm x 13mm stamp area.
|
| Condition: |
Perfect condition. Only tiny chips. Stamp surface preserved in much detail. Delivery without modern imprint.
|
| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2022 on the US-American art market. Previously in the US-American private collection of Dr. Giraud V. Foster (1928-2020). Acquired into the collection in Great Britain between 1962 and 1971. The Giraud Foster collection reflects the many facettes of his life. In the first collecting phase between 1961 and 1962, Foster was living in Yemen. He worked as the personal doctor for the last king Al Imam Ahmad bin Yahya Hamididdin (1891-1962). The time was used to build a remarkable collection of South Arabian and Yemenite art. Between 1962 and 1971 Foster lived in London and expanded his collecting interestest to other artefacts. When returning to the USA in 1971 he turned to academic research. Many archaeological papers were published and he became President and CEO of the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute. The work with the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore culminated in an exhibition and publication of a parrt of Foster's collection. Much of these objects were donated to the museum and accessioned into the permanent collection. |
| Literature: |
Kurt Erdmann, Die Kunst Irans zur Zeit der Sasaniden (1943). The standard works on Sasanian seal typology are from Goebl (1973) and Brunner (1978). |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
|