Weather god and god with mace

between 1894 B.C. and 1595 B.C.
hematite
18 x 10 mm
Morgan Seal 516
Provenance: 
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes: 

"In Old Babylonian representations the weather god, Adad, is usually shown standing on a bull and holding a lightning fork; often he also holds the bull's rein. This portrayal is probably related to the somewhat similar representation in the glyptic of the Assyrian merchant colonies in Anatolia. The style of the Old Babylonian seals bearing this figure indicates that it appeared in the repertory at a relatively late date... Seal 516 has been included in the group featuring the weather god because the latter's symbol--a trident--appears conspicuously in relation to the principal deity and may be intended as his symbol. The trident is exceptionally placed in an object that seems to be a sheath. Although the seals of this period usually depict the weather god with a bull and a lightning fork, the presence of a lion-griffin in the secondary motif of 516 shows that the earlier association of the weather god with a lion-griffin, as found in Akkad seals (220...), was occasionally retained in the Old Babylonian period..." Porada, CANES, p. 58

Summary: 

"Suppliant goddess and god with mace before deity who touches(?) lightning trident placed in sheath(?) -- In field: human head above bowlegged dwarf; crescent --Terminal: above, deity facing male figure; below, two reversed lion-griffins with fish(?) between them." Porada, CANES, p. 59

Place: 
Southern Mesopotamia.
Classification: 
Department: