Divine World Glyptics
Az i.e. I. évezredi pecséthengerek korpusza
MTA–ELTE Lendület
Újasszír és Újbabiloni Pecséthengerek és Istenvilág Kutatócsoport
| Object no. | S02651 |
| Description of the seal image | A bearded hero grasps the foreleg of a rampant bull with one hand and holds a mace in the other. He wears a long, belted, fringed, open robe over a short tunic. Behind the two figures is a vertically-set, two-line cuneiform inscription framed and separated by rulings. |
| Figures, motifs/symbols |
- bull: rampant, head turned backwards - hero: bearded, wearing a long, belted, fringed, open robe over a short tunic, holding a mace - inscription: cuneiform, vertically-set, two-line, framed and separated by rulings |
| Subcategory | cylinder seal |
| Collection | The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore |
| Museum number | WAM 42.791 – WAM C29 |
| Condition, shape | slightly chipped upper and lower edges |
| Culture | Neo-Babylonian |
| Provenance | ex-Henry Walters Collection (Baltimore); inherited by Sadie Jones (Mrs Henry Walters) in 1931 (New York); purchased by Joseph Brummer (Paris and New York) in 1941; purchased by The Walters Art Museum in 1941 |
| First occurence | before 1931 |
| Archaeological context | N/A |
| Registration number | N/A |
| Dimensions (mm): height, diameter | h: 37, d: 18 |
| Material and features | "chalcedony" |
| Style | modelled |
| Scene | contest |
| Writing system, language | cuneiform: Akkadian |
| Transliteration |
1. at-kal-ka a-a-ba-áš! 2. dAMAR.UTU ARḪUŠ TUKU.A |
| Translation |
1. I have trusted in you, may I not be put to shame, 2. o Marduk, have mercy! |
| Bibliography |
Gordon 1939, 30 no. 101 and pl. XII. Gordon, C. H.: "Western Asiatic Seals in the Walters Art Gallery". Iraq 6/1 (1939) 3–34. For the seal legend, see Niederreiter 2023, 333–334 no. 1.4. Niederreiter Z.: “Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Inscribed Cylinder Seals: Two Prayers”, in: Cousin, L. – Quillien, L. – Ramez, M., eds., Material Culture of Mesopotamia and Beyond 1: People and their Material Environment in the First Millennium BCE Babylonia. (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 319) Leuven – Paris – Bristol, Connecticut 2023, 327–362. WAM: https://art.thewalters.org/detail/31646/cylinder-seal-with-a-contest-scene-and-an-inscription/ [accessed: 12-11-2023]. |
| Object history | The publications mentioning the objects in this database were collected and the objects classified by ZN; data for the present object was input and preliminary description of the object done by GE based on the relevant publication provided, then the data was checked by MNy, the present object descriptions done by HL, and the transliteration and translation of the seal legend done by ZN; object data and description were finalized by ZN (03 March 2026). GE – Gábor Erdős, HL – Huba Lőrincz, ZN – Zoltán Niederreiter, MNy – Mónika Nyitrai |