152 Description of some Ancient Gems and Seals, fyc. [No. 110. 



that this beautiful Cameo of Silenus was engraved, at the same time that 

 the Bacchic coins of Agathocles were united ; that is about 240 B.C. 



No. 9. A red cornelian, in the collection of Sir Alex. Burnes. It is 

 of coarse execution, although its design is good ; and is probably only a 

 copy of a better gem. 



No. 10. Likewise in the collection of Sir Alex. Burnes ; this seal is 

 of very inferior execution ; the subject is similar to that of the coins of 

 the Grecian colony of Falisci in Italy. 



2. Sassanian. 



No. II. A red cornelian, from Amritsir, very thick, and with a hole 

 near the top for suspension ; the two streamers to the right are just the 

 same as those that we see upon the Sassanian coins. 



Nos. 12 and 13. These were sent to Mr. Prinsep by a gentleman re- 

 siding in Persia ; on No. 13 there is a Pehlvi inscription, but I am not 

 able to offer any thing myself regarding its interpretation. 



No. 14. In the possession of Colonel Stacy. 



3. Hindu. 



In the Journal of the Bengal Asiatic Society for 1837, at page 988 

 Mr. Prinsep says — ' General Ventura has also brought down with him some 

 beautiful specimens of seals of the same age, which I shall take an early 

 opportunity of engraving and describing.' Unfortunately this opportunity 

 was lost by Mr. Prinsep's sudden illness. He had however sent me an 

 impression of the principal seal referred to, (No. 15) which I will now 

 describe. 



No. 15. A plain thin cornelian, bearing a beautiful female head to the 

 right, the hair plaited in two braids over the fore part of the head, and 

 gathered into a large bow at the back, where it is tied by a ribbon, the 

 ends of which float behind. Her shoulder is covered by a robe, from 

 the midst of which her right hand appears, holding a lotus flower before 

 her face. Inscription below in ancient Sanscrit, Kesava-Dasasya, (Seal) 

 of Kesava-Das, the servant of Vishnu. 



At what period this lovely gem was engraved can only be ascertained 

 approximately by an examination of the forms of the Sanskrit characters ; 

 of which the letters k and d, and the inflected vowels are similar to those 

 found in the inscription recording the repairs of the bridge near liinagurh, 

 which we know must be subsequent to Asoka, or after B.C. 200; whih 

 the s and sy are of a later period, and similar to those found in the in- 

 criptions of the Gupta family, which, in my opinion, cannot be later than 

 A.D. 400. The peculiar formation of the sy, I consider to be one of the 



