ART. 4 ANCIENT ORIENTAL SEALS CASANOWICZ 21 



gazelle for sacrifice, attended by a priest or another god. To the right is 

 another seated god with two worshippers before him, and next to the 

 seated figure is Raman in his usual low cap and sliort tunic, with thunder- 

 bolt (?) in his right hand, and facing him, perhaps Marduk with his right 

 foot on his animal, the horned dragon. In the field, above, crescent (Sin), 

 star (Ishtar) : in the middle, asheras. In the lower register. Gilgamesh 

 and Enkidu fighting the bull and lion, respectively, in various positions ; in 

 one of these Gilgamesh kneeling holds the animals in reversed position, 

 head down. Behind this scene is a figure in long garment standing, serv- 

 ing as separator between the scenes. The original, of brownish hematite, 

 from Hillah, Mesopotamia, is in the United States National Museum. 

 (Cat. No. 207934, U.S.N.M.) 



2. Engraved in two registers, which are separated by a line. Perhaps Syro- 



Hittite or Persian seal. The upper register may represent a religious 

 procession. In the center, a figure standing driving a chariot. Left of 

 this scene are two nude figures led by god in long dress to the tree of 

 life in form of a cypress. To the right of the chariot is a god, nude, 

 walking behind four small nude figures who carry a god in long dress 

 and conical head dress, holding the thunderbolt — perhaps the Hittite god 

 Teshub-Adad. The mutilated lower register may depict a hunting scene. 

 The original is owned by Mrs. Talcott Williams. (Cat. No. 311258, 

 U.S.N.M.) 



3. Persian seal, depicting a military scene. Persian soldier, bearded, with 



Persian garment and feathered crown, and bow and quiver on his 

 shoulder, grasps a kneeling and appealing captive, who is clad in an 

 elaborate garment and wearing a high helmet, with his left hand, and 

 strikes him with the spear in his right hand. Behind the soldier and in 

 front of a palm tree are four prisoners, tlieir hands tied behind and 

 their necks held by a rope. The original, of bloodstone, from Hillah, 

 Mesoix)tamia, is in the United States National Museum'. (Cat. No. 

 20790S, U.S.N.M.) 



Plate 18 



1. Geometrical design, consisting of symmetrical curves and lines deeply cut. 



The original, deeply concave, of salmon-colored marble, is in the Metro- 

 politan Museum of Art, New York. (Cat. No. 130283, U.S.N.M.) 



2. Geometrical design, consisting of irregular curved and cruciform lines. 



The original, of oriental alabaster, from Baghdad, Mesopotamia, is owned 

 by Prof. H. Hyvernat. (Cat. No. 300587, U.S.N.M.) 



3. Two horned animals standing back to back, with crescentic decorations. 



Perhaps Cyprian seal. The original, of chert, is owned by O. C. Marsh. 

 (Cat. No. 130249, U.S.N.M.) 



4. Decorative seal : crescents and lines forming triangles and pits. The 



original, a scaraboid of chalcedony, from Hillah, Mesopotamia, is in the 

 United States National Museum. (Cat. No. 207947, U.S.N.M.) 



5. Two winged dragons attacking a bull. Between the monsters is the stylized 



tree of life. The original, of clouded alabaster, is in the Metropolitan 

 Museum, of Art, New York. (Cat. No. 130288, U.S.N.M.) 



6. Syro-IIittite seal. Ishtar, the goddess of love and fecundity, in single 



loose garment, which, with her left hand, she draws back, exposing navel 

 and right leg, while in her right hand she holds her bird, the dove with 

 wings extended. Facing her is a god in low cap and short garment. 

 The other half of the seal is taken up with two lions couchants facing 

 one another, and a griffin attacking an ibex, the guilloche, or rope pattern, 



