Ibex-headed demons with upraised arms and dog

between 1550 B.C. and 1075 B.C.
brownish hematite
25 x 10 mm
Morgan Seal 1077
Provenance: 
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan sometime between 1885 and 1908.
Notes: 

"Seal 1077 obviously comes out of an artistic sphere that iscompletely alien to all west-Asiatic cylinders. The stylization of the animal bodies accentuates other parts than those stressed in the abbreviated rendering of animals in Near Eastern designs. The principal lines in the rendering of the bull indicate the movemment of its body and do not clearly separate the neck, trunk, and limbs. Such stylistic determinants are supported by the resemblance betweenthe griffin in this seal and a jumping griffin made of gold foil found at Mycenae, as well by the signs in the field, which may be characters of an Aegean script. A seal from Cyprus in the Cesnola Collection resembles 1077 to some degree in style. Thus it is possible that such seals were made in Cyprus. However, it is equally probable that this piece originated somewhere in the Aegean area."--Porada, CANES, p. 150

Summary: 

Ibex-headed demon with upraised arms--one arm over dog poised to leap -- Leaping horned animal -- Bull brought to its knees by griffin jumping on its back (all three animals and griffin placed vertically) -- Terminal: character of Aegean script(?), two globes, second (different) Aegean(?) character, one above other.

Period: 
Classification: 
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