Worshiper led by minor goddess toward enthroned king

between 2112 and 2004 B.C.
lapis lazuli
28 x 14.5 mm
Morgan Seal 293
Provenance: 
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes: 

Cylinder fragment.
"A new feature of the seals of the Third Dynasty of Ur, as contrasted with those of the Akkad period, is the figure of a king who, in the manner of a god, receives a worshiper introduced by a minor deity (291-294). This representation originated because the kings of this dynasty were deified during life. Details that differentiate the representations of the deities of the pantheon from renderings of a deified king are the latter's attire--a firinged cloak and a round cap with upturned brim--and his throne, which is a stool, apparently upholstered, and covered with a flounced material or perhaps fur. Gods, in contrast, wear horned miters and flounced robes and sit on thrones shaped like shrines. Furthermore, the king always holds a cup, whereas the god as a rule merely raises his hand in a welcoming gesture."--Porada, CANES, p. 35

Summary: 

Worshiper [obliterated] led by minor goddess toward enthroned king holding cup -- Star disk in crescent in sky -- Terminal: inscription.

Place: 
Southern Mesopotamia.
Period: 
Classification: 
Department: