Figure with oval headgear and partially veiled goddess holding jug

between 1650 B.C. and 1350 B.C.
hematite
20 x 15 mm
Morgan Seal 968
Provenance: 
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes: 

"Indubitable renderings of the weather god are found in 967 and 968. In both these seals he is standing on mountains an dbrandishing a mace in one hand. ... In 968 the god holds an ax and a cursorily rendered object that may be a curved weapon. ... In 968 the weather god faces a female figure displaying her nudity as in 945. While it is possible that here again the latter figure is represented in an association with the weather god, it should be noted that behind her stands a male figure with oval headgear who may be a king. ... the simpler carving of 964 and 965 may indicate an earlier origin, and the conventionalization in 968 a later."--Porada, CANES, p. 129

Summary: 

Figure with oval headgear and partly veiled goddess who holds jug, both facing god with spiked helmet who holds ax and curved weapon, brandishes mace, and stands on three mountains -- At left of goddess, bull's head, hand, triple-ringed vase -- At her right, bird, triple-ringed vase, monkey -- Beside curved weapon of god, hand -- Below his pigtail, triple-ringed vase -- Secondary motif: two facing seated figures filling cups from streams flowing out of vase on stand between them, guilloche, three walking figures, one above other.

Classification: 
Department: