WESTERN ASIATIC ARAMAIC CYLINDER SEAL FOR SHEMACH HADAD SON OF ADAD
6th-4th century BC
An agate cylinder seal with frieze of a winged figure facing an advancing horse(?) with crescent and star above, thirteen Aramaic characters in the upper border transliterated as 'lšmk hdd bn [..d.]' (belonging to Shemach Hadad son of Adad). 4.89 grams, 22mm (3/4").
Condition
Very fine condition. Extremely rare.
Provenance Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
Literature See Collon, D. First Impressions. Cylinder Seals in the Ancient Near East, London, 2005 for discussion of types.
Footnotes This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz.