Wild goat (ibex) and ostrich pursuing each other

Műveletek

Object no.	S02858
Description of the seal image	A rampant wild goat (ibex) and an ostrich-like bird pursue each other. Above the caprid is a fish, while below its forelegs is a rhomb. A six-rayed, globe-centred star and a crescent moon appear above the ostrich. Below the latter's beak is the tasseled spade of Marduk (marru).
Figures, motifs/symbols	- bird: ostrich, running - crescent moon - fish - rhomb - spade of Mardu (marru): tasselled - star: six-rayed, globe-centred - wild goat (ibex): rampant
Subcategory	cylinder seal
Collection	The Metropolitan Museum of Art / The MET / MMA
Museum number	MMA 57.27.8
Culture	Neo-Assyrian
Provenance	excavated by Sir Max Mallowan at Kalḫu (Nimrud) in 1956; acquired by the MMA (Rogers Fund) in 1957
First occurence	1956
Archaeological context	Kalḫu (Nimrud), Nabu Temple, south-east corner, cache
Registration number	ND 5254
Dimensions (mm): height, diameter	h: 35, d: N/A (Parker 1962); h: 35.1 (MMA) (with bronze caps)
Material and features	"black steatite, copper/bronze caps"
Style	linear
Scene	animal, pursuing
Transliteration	N/A
Bibliography	Parker 1962, 30 no. ND.5254 and pl. X: 4. Parker, B.: "Seals and Seal Impressions from the Nimrud Excavations, 1955–58". Iraq 24/1 (1962) 26–40. MMA: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/324602 [accessed: 25-11-2023].

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 ER based on the relevant publication provided, then the data was checked by MNy and the present object descriptions done by HL; object data and description were finalized by ZN (2 September 2026). HL – Huba Lőrincz, ZN – Zoltán Niederreiter, MNy – Mónika Nyitrai, ER – Erika Roboz

Divine World Glyptics

Az i.e. I. évezredi pecséthengerek korpusza

Wild goat (ibex) and ostrich pursuing each other

Műveletek