244 SEAL CYLINDERS OF WESTERN ASIA. 
Another very much finer cylinder is shown in fig. 733. Here the goddess, in 
her chair, holds in one hand her club, or scepter, while the other hand reaches out 
to touch the head of an antlered deer laid on a table, or altar, before her. The 
worshiper presents the offering by resting one hand on the deer’s antler, and behind 
him another worshiper, or the same one repeated, holds in his hand the head of 
an animal, perhaps a horse. It may be that in both cases the head represents the 
entire animal. In the field are the winged disk and the crescent, a lion, a monkey, a 
dog, two birds, and another uncertain object. The disk of the sun, it will be observed, 
is drawn with the eight rays of Venus, instead of with his own alternate streams, 
showing the confusion and degradation of the symbolism often noticed as it leaves 
its original home. 
Another case in which the goddess is drinking from a vase before her is shown 
in fig. 734. This cylinder is of the soft, northern serpentine, but its shape—rather 
short for its diameter—and some elements in the composition suggest quite an early 
Babylonian influence, as well as the influence from the north. The goddess wears 
the flounced garment and drinks through a reed from the vase before her. Near 
her are the vase, in an old form, and the “libra,” which belong together in the older 
art. A worshiper presents a vase. Behind him, on a high platform and under a 
canopy, is a bull, probably brought for sacrifice. In the field are a small sun and a 
shallow crescent, a star, and apparently six instead of the proper seven dots that 
represent the Igigi. The latter are never found in the old Babylonian art, and there 
can be no question that this cylinder is northern, although quite early. 
Another very interesting early cylinder is shown in fig. 735. This gives us a 
seated deity, apparently beardless, before an elaborate altar, or table, on which 
rests a swan. Behind the altar stands the worshiper and above the god are the 
seven dots. A somewhat similar cylinder is shown in fig. 736, also of the soft ser- 
pentine and early. The border at the top and bottom has a series of diagonal lines 
in place of the chevrons. There is the seated goddess, with the worshiper, and over 
the table is a fish in place of the swan in the last seal. Not so early is fig. 737, where 
the goddess, with a ring in her hand, sits before a stand with a fish under the winged 
disk, while a worshiper stands opposite her, and behind the goddess are a crescent, 
a rhomb, and an antelope. Another of this general type we see in fig. 738, where the 
goddess drinks from a vase on a low stand and a worshiper is seen before a high 
stand which may be an altar of unusual shape. Perhaps we may include here such 
a cylinder as fig. 739, where the goddess holds a branch, and we see a worshiper, 
the naked goddess, and probably Shamash and a worshiper, besides rude animals. 
There can be no doubt that the deity represented in fig. 740 is female, for she 
holds the distaff. Behind her a female servant waves a fan and before her a beard- 
less worshiper presents two fishes. 
A good example of the more usual kind is given in fig. 741. The deity, unques- 
tionably a goddess, sits on a high chair with a footstool. Before her is a table with 
crossed legs, covered with a cloth, on which is nothing but a single cup. Behind 
her a bearded, male attendant actually holds a fringed towel or napkin in one hand 
and in the other a fan. Before the table a female attendant swings a whisk. In the 
field are the winged disk, a crescent, a star, and a slender wedge. 
In the later cylinders of this type, those cut with the wheel, it is very common 
to see a series of four dots, or stars, arranged as ornaments behind the back of the 
