between 2112 and 2004 B.C.
black serpentine
31 x 17 mm
Morgan Seal 268
Provenance:
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes:
"The contest scenes of the period of the Third Dynasty of Ur are characterized by a scheme of three figures, usually one victim between two assailants. A distinctive feature is the appearance of the lion-griffin as the object of assault (268-270). Furthermore, these scenes frequently include small, probably symbolic designs that are in no apparent relation to the principal theme--for example, the crescent, offering table, and bird in 268. The classification of 268 is fixed beyond doubt by its inscription, which belongs to the time of the Third Dynasty of Ur ..."--Porada, CANES, p. 34
Summary:
Bull-man fighting lion-griffin that is in grasp of nude bearded hero -- In field: crescent; offering table; bird -- Terminal: inscription.
Place:
Southern Mesopotamia.
Period:
Catalog link:
Classification:
Department: