New Additions at Sadigh Gallery

Greetings from Sadigh Gallery!

We have recently acquired a collection of many exquisite artifacts from collectors and estates. 

Here are some of the beautiful pieces currently available at Sadigh Gallery:

Ancient Egyptian Alabaster Vessel

Carved beige alabaster flask with two small loops protruding from the sides. Middle Kingdom. 2040 - 1786 BC (5" x 2 ½" )

Ancient Roman Bronze Cupid Inlay

 

Bronze winged Cupid, aiming with a bow and arrow.  Green patina. 100 AD - 200 AD (2" x 1 ¾" )

Ancient Roman Silver Cupid Pendant

 

Silver pendant of winged Cupid, a loop on the top for stringing.  200 AD (1")

European Marble Statue 

 

Carved marble statue of a muscular male, the left hand to the forehead, the right hand broken, the robe from the shoulder and covering the lower part of the body.  The face shows intricately carved  details. 1800's AD (36" x 12" x 7")

European Bronze Statue of a Soldier

 

Hollow bronze statue of a standing soldier on a decorative base. The soldier holds a spear in one hand, wears an armor, cloak over one shoulder, and  a helmet decorated with a winged dragon. Extremely fine details.  1700's AD (18" x 7" )

These are some of our favorite pieces and we believe they will be well received by any collectors.  The details on these pieces are simply magnificent.

Stay tuned for more Sadigh Gallery updates in future!  

Sadigh Gallery's New Collection of Stegosaurus Eggs!

We are pleased to announce that we just acquired a small collection of Stegosaurus (Dinosaur) Eggs! This is surely a unique opportunity for us, as we concentrate on dealing in ancient antiquities and not paleolithic items (although we do have some collections of fossils).

FOR LIMITED TIME ONLY–we offer these eggs to you with Discounted Prices + Free Shipping!

We have only 20 of them…and believe us, they will go very fast!

Thisoffer is on the basis of first-come, first-served, so please contact us to place your order today. Call Sadigh Gallery Toll Free (800) 426-2007, or e-mailus at info@sadighgallery.com

Here is the sample picture of one of them:

 

Stegosaurus dinosaur egg from the Henan Provenance, China. 65 Million Years Old. Sizes are 3 1/2″ – 4″ .  It is known that many dinosaurs, including the stegosaurus, laid clutches of relatively small eggs in shallow holes scraped in the ground. They may have been covered with sand and left to hatch in the warmth of the sun. Once the eggs hatched, the young would have grown quickly as some measure of protection from predators. The young would have been further protected by remaining in the middle of the herd. As an animal that lived in herds, the stegosaurus probably would have fought to establish breeding rights and herd leadership.

Ancient Egyptian Writing

The scribes of Egypt used three distinct scripts in their writing: hieratic, hieroglyphic and demotic.  The hieratic and demotic are merely cursive derivatives of hieroglyphics.  By the Roman period, the Coptic, a fourth script was used, which was based on the Greek alphabets and different principles.

The ancient Egyptians called Hieroglyphic scripts “mdju netjer”, which meant “words of the gods”.  Hieroglyphs were the earliest and longest-lived form of Egyptian script.  It is the most familiar to the modern observers when starting in awe at the columned halls at Karnak, the beautiful tomb paintings in the Valley of Kings & Queens, and on sarcophagi and coffins.

The Ibis-headed god Thoth was considered the patron deity of writings and scribes.  A relief from the temple of Ramesses II at Abydos shows the god sitting on a throne, holding a long scribal palette in one hand and in the other, holding the reed with which he is writing.  King Ramesses himself is shown assisting the god by holding an ink pot-like jar.

The first hieroglyphs appeared on labels and pottery objects dating back to about 3100 BCE, in the late Predynastic period and the last glyphs appeared on the island of Philae in a temple inscription carved in 394 ACE.  Originally, hieroglyphs were used to write different kinds of texts on different surfaces, but as hieratic script developed, hieroglyphic script became confined to religious and monumental usage, mostly carved in stones.  The Greeks, upon seeing these temple and other religious inscriptions, called the script “hiera grammata”, which meant “the sacred letters”, or “ta hierogyphica”, which meant “the sacred carved letters”.

A hieroglyphic inscription is arranged on its surface either in columns or in horizontal lines.  There are no punctuation marks or spaces to indicate the divisions between words.  The signs are generally inscribed facing rightward, when appeared in columnar form; they are usually read from right to left.  If they appear in horizontal lines, they are read from upper to lower.

Hieroglyphic script is largely pictorial in character.  Most are recognizable pictures of natural or fabricated objects, often symbolically color-painted.  The ground plan of a simple house, or pr, might stand for the word “house”.  These are called ideograms.

Hieroglyphic script also includes phonograms, sign-words for concepts that cannot be conveyed by a simple picture.  The phonogram is best represented by the “rebus principle”.  A rebus is a message spelled out in pictures that represent sounds rather than the things.

Hieratic were the ancient Egyptian cursive writings, used from the first dynasty (c. 2925 – c. 2755 BC) until about 200 BC.  Derived from the earlier, pictorial hieroglyphic writing used in carved or painted inscriptions, hieratic writings were generally written in ink with a reed pen on papyrus; its cursive form was more suited to such a medium than were the formal hieroglyphs.  It was originally written vertically and later horizontally from right to left.  After about 660 BC, demotic script replaced hieratic in most secular writings, but hieratic continued to be used by priests in the transcriptions of religious texts for several centuries.

Hieratic is an adoption of the hieroglyphic script, the signs being simplified to make their writing quicker.  Hieratic was the administrative and business script throughout most of its history and recorded documents of a literary, scientific and religious nature.  The earliest body of hieratic texts, thus far, is estate records, that date from the Fourth Dynasty. 

Writing was not one, but two inventions: first, the script by itself – a comprehensive series of signs made by a series of brush strokes, capable of representing all the words or sounds of human speech and second, the remarkable invention of the materials used to record, transmit and preserve these scripts, like the papyrus, the pen and the ink. 

The word “Demotic” comes from Greek, which meant “popular script”.  By the Hellenistic period of the Ptolemies, demotic was the only native script in general daily use.  It is very cursive script, having been derived from hieratic, making it difficult to read and almost impossible to transcribe into hieroglyphic context.

Demotic scripts were generally administrative, legal and commercial, though there are a few literary composition as well as scientific and religious scripts.

Sadigh Gallery—Mail Order Antiquity Business

In the previous articles, we discussed about the characteristics of our gallery which make us one-of-a-kind in the highly competitive antiquities business.

Although we have a physical gallery in the heart of New York City which people can walk in at anytime during our business hours, we are mainly a mail-order company.   Because of this nature of our business, we have customers and various networks of dealers and collectors from everywhere in the United States and even overseas.  We often process a large volume wholesale trade with established dealers, but also work closely with individual collectors, schools and museums to fill their specific needs.

Along with a wholesale catalog, we hold 6 mail-in auctions every year. These auction catalogs feature pictures and prices of everything for many different cultures of the ancient world, and gives our customers a chance to purchase unique artifact at price as low as 50% of the listed amount.  Of course you would have to bid higher amount to outbid your competitors but this auction experience certainly makes antiquity collection more interesting. Most of our walk-in trade is catalog customers, some who happen to be in the neighborhood and others who travel from around the country to browse and touch the ancient pieces.

Here at Sadigh Gallery we enjoy dealing with people and hope to keep our gallery as down-to-earth and accessible as possible.  When you visit New York City, be sure to stop by at our gallery.  Even if you are on the other coast, feel free to call us so you will be able to view our collections through our catalogs!

Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art—New York City’s One-of-a-kind Ancient Artifacts Wholesale Dealer

We have been sharing our knowledge on the history of ancient artifacts and cultures for quite some time now, but at this time we would like to come to a brief pause…and instead, write briefly about history of our very own gallery.

Just what exactly is Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art, Inc?

If you have learned about us from the Smithsonian Magazine or any other cultural/history magazines, you may have seen from the ads that we are a wholesaler on antiquities.  We recognize that this fact perks up some interest in people, who must wonder how is it possible for us to wholesale something as valuable and unique as treasured antiquities from ancient societies? Are they not supposed to be collected and secured safely in museums?   We must admit we do receive many questions from our visitors. One of the reasons why a question like this is common, is perhaps because of the general notion that everything that ancient and found in archaeological digs are rare and, therefore, expensive.  Museums often make us think that way too, having pieces of ancient jewelries showcased behind highly guarded glass windows.   While some artifacts--such as ancient Egyptian sarcophagus fragments from funeral grounds of pharaohs-- are indeed exclusive and may cost well over thousands in auctions, most are not so as highly valued.   The reason of this is simple: People in ancient times generally lived the same way as we did although in much simpler ways. People had items that they would use daily, such as currency, jewelry, coins, and pottery.  These types of items were owned by common people were produced in mass numbers, and, these are the artifacts that we mainly deal with.   Ancient coins are maybe available from $20.00 and up.  Broken pieces of abundantly produced pottery or glass vessels can be purchased as low as $10 each.   Such items may not be diamonds yet they attribute historical values, and are popular among creative jewelers who would rearrange these finds in modern beautiful jewelry or ornamental settings.   Sometimes, the quality or the history of an artifact does affect the price.  For example: An ancient Egyptian ushabtis made of alabaster for higher officials which still retain clear hieroglyphs, is available for sale over $1000 range.   Even so we gladly offer discounts and chances for public to purchase exclusive items for lower prices during our bi-monthly auctions.

Sadigh Gallery has accumulated the collection of these artifacts over 30 years in New York, and even more—the family-owned gallery has been running for several generations.   In next update we will discuss farther about our unique antiquities business method, which can be categorized as a mail order business. 

In the meantime, feel free to visit our gallery website at: www.sadighgallery.com  to view our extensive collection of ancient artifacts.

Sadigh Gallery’s New Ancient Chinese Jade Collection

Sadigh Gallery has recently acquired an estate collection of ancient jade Lohan statues from 1300’s AD.

So what exactly are these Lohans that we are talking of?   Lohans (also known as Arhats) are the 18 followers of Buddhism’s “Eightfold Path”, who have reached the state of complete freedom from worldly desires  and were no longer subject to reincarnation. Their saintly characteristics are sometimes regarded as similar to guardian angels of western world, and are thought to protect people from all kinds of evil.    Each Lohan embodies philosophy of life, and the statues/drawings of them are often placed in Buddhist temples for people to open themselves to spiritual exploration.

The translated names of the eighteen Lohans are: 

Deer Sitting Lohan: Signifies spiritual awakening

Happy Lohan:  Bringer of eternal happiness, dispels any obstacles that prevents one from happiness

Raised Bowl Lohan: The begging bowl signifies humility, and teaches that if one could only be rich spiritually, he/she may reach eternal happiness. 

Raised Pagoda Lohan: Bringer of auspiciousness

Meditating Lohan: Enhances the serenity of the home.

Oversea Lohan: Lohan who spread the teachings of Buddha overseas, the father of Japanese zen Buddhism, and the master of martial arts

Elephant Riding Lohan: Bringer of fortune, the elephant is a symbol of victory over evil forces

Laughing Lion Lohan: Embodies compassion and wisdom. The lion is the powerful protector against worldly disturbances. 

Open Heart Lohan: Represents purity of the mind

Raised Hand Lohan: Bring harmony among the siblings.

Thinking Lohan: Brings blessing through meditation

Scratched Ear Lohan: Symbolizes purification of the sense of hearing in search for peace and quiet. 

Calico Bag Lohan: Protects one from evil of the world

Plantain Lohan: Bringer of the guru

Long Eyebrow Lohan: Embodies virtues and wisdom.

Doorman Lohan: Teaches one that one must practice diligently in order to eradicate the greed, anger and ignorance in one's mind

Taming Dragon Lohan: Symbolizes bravery and wisdom

Taming Tiger Lohan: Teaches one to overcome the “tiger”-- desire, greed, anger and hatred-- in one’s mind.

It is a rare occasion for us to obtain a full collection of  18 Lohan statues that are still in a beautiful condition.  View our collection at our website here:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=lohan

Ancient Greco-Roman Medical & Surgical Instruments

Just like today, physicians in the Classical World had access to a variety of intricate medical & surgical instruments that were designed to aid them in their treatment of the sick and injured.

Several ancient texts mention the use of surgical tools and instruments used by doctors in antiquity. The precise date when each instrument was first employed is largely unknown. The most of the instruments seemed to have been available to Hippocrates (c. 460) and continued to be used throughout the late Roman Empire with several existing in a similar form still being used by physicians today.  The Greco-Roman Age covers the period when the Romans ruled the Greek World.  Greek medicine and surgery grew up side by side, as partners and medicine continued to develop under the Romans who had gained much of their medical knowledge from the Greeks; so much so that Julius Caesar gave Roman citizenship to all free-born Greek physicians practicing in Rome.  The Romans easily conquered Macedonia and Greece in 197 BC but proclaimed “the freedom of Greece” the following year only to return in 167 BC to abolish the Macedonian kingdom that refused to follow their wishes.  Roman armies swept into Southern Greece taking action against those who disobeyed their orders. Another recognized period known as the Greco-Roman occurred from the time of the great physician, Galen, until the fall of the Roman Empire.  Toward the end of this era, Greek influence began to fade.  Only a few medical men were respected but most were little better off than slaves do. After a time, Roman medicine fell into the orbit of Byzantine Culture and lost the original virility inherited from the Greeks. 

Following are types of ancient medical instruments:

Scalpels: Could be made of steel, bronze, or a combination of the two metals (such as a steel blade and a bronze handle). Ancient scalpels had almost the same form and function as their modern counterparts do today. The two long steel scalpels that make up the first and third columns of the accompanying image are examples of the most ordinary type of scalpel from antiquity. These long scalpels could be used to make a variety of incisions, but they seem to be particularly suited to making either deep or long cuts. The four bronze scalpels, which make up columns two and four, are generally referred to as "bellied scalpels." This variety of scalpel was another favorite of physicians in antiquity since the shape of its handle allowed more delicate and precise cuts to be made (such as incisions between ribs).

Hooks:  Another common instrument used regularly by Greek and Roman doctors. The hooks, the ancient doctors used, came in two basic varieties: sharp and blunt. Both of these types of hooks are still used by modern surgeons for many of the same purposes for which the ancient doctors first used them. For instance, blunt hooks were primarily used as probes for dissection and for raising blood vessels. Sharp hooks, were used to hold and lift small pieces of tissue so that they could be extracted and to retract the edges of wounds. 

Forceps:  Probably designed to facilitate the amputation of the uvula. This procedure, as described by Aetius in the first half of the sixth century, called for the physician to crush the uvula with forceps before cutting it off in order to prevent hemorrhaging.  Forceps also were used by ancient doctors to extract the small fragments of bone, which could not be grasped by the fingers. Naturally, physicians often used such forceps in conjunction with bone drills.

Bone Drills: Generally driven in their rotary motion by means of a thong in various configurations. Greek and Roman physicians used bone drills in order to excise diseased bone tissue from the skull and to remove foreign objects of considerable thickness (such as a weapon) from a bone. 

Ancient medical tools are popular at Sadigh Gallery, and we have variety sets of medical instruments available to purchase.  We also have ones that are mounted in frames. Some of our customers who practice medicines have informed us that they are displaying these artifacts on the walls of their medical offices.

Click on the below link to see Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art’s collections of ancient Greco-Roman medical tools:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=Medical%20instrument&sortby=0&catid=20

Cuneiform Clay Cones

Writing in ancient Mesopotamia evolved in response to a need for accurate record keeping. Once the idea that sounds and ideas could be communicated by a series of consistent symbols was understood, the script developed and was quickly pressed into practical service. Cuneiform script evolved directly from picture drawings becoming more and more stylized until a standard script developed. The first known cuneiform texts are from the ancient city of Uruk, in southern Iraq and date from about 3,000 BC. They reveal a complex business structure already in operation.

Side by side with the economic texts were dedication texts. The practice of consecrating the foundations of new buildings seems to have started almost as early as building itself.

In order to insure that the sanctuaries of the various gods would last forever, they were built on sacred ground and the foundations were laid with great ceremony. Special deposit objects were carefully placed in the foundations and walls.

Foundation deposits took many forms and inscribed clay cone and nails were often placed in the corners, and under entrance halls. The inscriptions usually named the king and the deity to whom the sanctuary was being dedicated.

FOR EXAMPLE:

TO MARDUK, HIS LORD, NEBUCHADEZZAR, THE KING OF BABYLON, FOR HIS LIFE, HE PRESENTED IT.

Sadigh Gallery has acquired a collection of ancient cuneiform clay cones dating from 2,000 – 1,000 BC each with its own translation. These cones are made of terra cotta and stand from 4 to 6 inches tall. Each one is mounted on a custom made base.

View our collection of Foundation cones here:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=foundation cones&sortby=0&catid=34

Egyptian Coffins & Sarcophagus

The term “Coffin” is usually applied to the rectangular or anthropoid container in which the Egyptians placed the mummified body, whereas the word “Sarcophagus” (Greek: “Flesh-Eating”) is used to refer only to the stone outer container, invariably encasing one or more coffins.  The distinction made between these two items of Egyptian funerary equipment is therefore essentially an artificial one, since both shared the same role of protecting the body of the deceased.  In terms of decoration and shape, coffins and sarcophagi drew on roughly the same iconographic stylistic repertoire.

The earliest burials in Egypt contain no coffins and were naturally desiccated by the hot sand.  The separation of the body of deceased from the surrounding sand by the use of a coffin or sarcophagus ironically led to the deterioration of the body, perhaps stimulating developments in mummification.  The religious purpose of the coffin was to ensure the well-being of the deceased in the afterlife, literally providing a “house” for the “Ka”.

The earliest coffins were baskets or simple plank constructions in which the body was placed in a flexed position.  From these developed and valuated house-shaped coffins that remained in use into the fourth Dynasty (2613 – 2494 BC).  At around this time, the Egyptians began to bury the deceased body in an extended position, perhaps because the increasingly common practice of evisceration made such an arrangement more suitable.  By the end of the Old Kingdom (2181 BC), food offerings were being painted on the inside of coffins as an extra means of providing sustenance for the deceased in the event of the tomb chapel being destroyed or neglected.  In the Old & Middle Kingdom, a pair of eyes was often painted on the side of the coffin that faced east when it was placed in the tomb.  It was evidently believed that the deceased could therefore look out of the coffin to see his or her offerings and the world from which he or she had passed, as well as to view the rising Sun. 

Decorated coffins became still more important in the First Intermediate Period (2181 – 2055 BC), when many tombs contained little mural decoration.  It was thus essential that coffins themselves should incorporate the basic elements of the tomb and by the Middle Kingdom (2055 – 1650 BC), they often incorporated revised extracts of the Pyramid Texts, known as the coffin texts.  This change reflects the increased identification of the afterlife with Osiris, rather than the Sun-God “Ra”.

Anthropoid coffins first appeared in the 12th Dynasty (1985 – 1795 BC), apparently serving as substitute bodies lest the original be destroyed.  With the New Kingdom (1550 – 1069 BC), this form of coffins became more popular and the shape became identified with Osiris himself; his beard and crossed arms sometimes being added.  The feathered, rishi coffins of the 17th and early 18th Dynasty were once thought to depict the wings of the goddess Isis, embracing her husband Osiris, but are now considered by some scholars to refer to the BA bird.  Rectangular coffins were effectively replaced by anthropoid types in the 18th Dynasty; but some of their decorative elements were retained.

In the Third Intermediate Period (1069 – 747 BC), coffins, papyri and stelae became the main vehicles for funerary scenes that had previously been carved and painted on the walls of tomb chapels.  The principal feature of most of the new scenes depicted on coffins was the Osirian and solar mythology surrounding the concept of rebirth, including the judgment of the deceased before Osiris and the journey into the underworld, the voyage of the Solar Bark and parts of the Litany of Ra.  Among the new scenes introduced in the decoration of coffins and on funerary papyri was the depiction of the separation of the earth-god Geb from the sky-goddess Nut.

The excavation of the 21st & 22nd Dynasty royal tombs at Tanis has provided a number of examples of the royal coffins of the period (although the sarcophagi were sometimes reused from the New Kingdom).  The cache of mummies of high priests of Amun at Deir el-Bahri has also yielded a large number of private coffins of the 21st Dynasty (1069 – 945 BC).  It was also from the end of the New Kingdom onwards that the interiors of the coffins began to be decorated again; beneath the lid-especially in the 22nd Dynasty (945 – 715 BC), there was often a representation of Nut, while the “goddess of the West”, Hathor, or the Djed Pillar began to be portrayed on the coffin floor.  During the Late Period, extracts from the Book of the Dead were sometimes also inscribed inside the coffin. 

In the 25th Dynasty a new repertoire of coffin types, usually consisting of sets of two or three (including an inner case with pedestal, an intermediate anthropoid outer coffin), was introduced, becoming established practice by the 26th Dynasty.  Late Period coffins were characterized by archaism, involving the reintroduction of the earlier styles of coffin decoration, such as the provision of the eye panel.

There are comparatively few excavated burials dating from c.525 to 350 BC, but more coffins have survived from the succeeding phase (30th Dynasty and early Ptolemaic Period), when they typically have disproportionately large heads and wigs.  During the early Ptolemaic Period, many mummies were provided with cartonnage masks and plaques, fixed on to the body by strips of line.

Ancient Roman Mosaic Art

Here at Sadigh Gallery we carry artifacts from various cultures, sizes varying from micro-sized beads to large basalt statues. Among these antiquities, ancient mosaic panels are the examples of the most decorative artifacts for they remain in great vibrancy of color due to their great durability.  Mosaic panels we carry are from ancient Rome.  When you visit Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art, Inc., you are welcomed to observe these Roman panels closely, and even touch them.  By looking at these artworks, one can imagine the artists’ great time and patience for covering floor spaces in both durable and well-designed way.  

Here is a brief history of ancient mosaic art:

Mosaic is a form of decorated art, an aspect of interior decoration or of a cultural significance as a cathedral in which small pieces of colored material were used to create a pattern or a picture.  Significantly used in Roman Dwellings but was used in ancient times for domestic interior decoration.

The art for was not born in a particular time or place and therefore requires an understanding of the civilization.  Mosaics appeared sporadically in different cultures and locations not connected with the others.  The beginnings are difficult to identify but historians believe that the art form originated somewhere in the Orient.

Two thousand years BC, the first manifestations were in Chaldean architecture where some columns were covered with mosaics, small cones of clay were embedded in the structure and painted.

Mosaics were drawn by an artist and passed on to an artisan who would make the tesserae (individual pieces) for the mosaic. Broken pottery and stone based materials made the colors of the mosaic most often laid by hand. The most common color combinations used were Ironstone (red and brown), Limestone and sandstone (yellow and brown), slate (blue and black) and Chalk (white).  They were set at slight angles to the wall so they caught the light in various different places. Mosaics were also formed from naturally colored pebbles. 

Egyptians were the first to use glass paste in palaces and temples, and it is believed the usage of glass mosaics reached Italy from Egypt.  

One of the Roman remains mostly intact were the mosaics as they were considered the roman carpets of time.  Romans used mosaics as their floor coverings and while the walls mostly fell to decay the floors were left intact.  Often times only the wealthy could afford a mosaic as a personalization of their family and used to make a statement about their position in society.  Mosaic panels were also used for public places  such as schools, public baths, and shops, for decorative reasons.  

In the 4th century BC, Mosaics were found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic Villas.  In the late 4th Century, wall and ceiling mosaics were adapted to Christian uses. The greatest developments were from the Byzantine Empire.

In the Greek-Roman period, various techniques of decoration were popular:

• Opus Signinum: In this technique developed by the Greeks the mosaic was constituted of “ciottoli”, or pebbles, that were randomly placed, with rudimental designs, and cemented into place with clay or plaster.

• Opus tesselatum: In this technique, the mosaic is constituted or small pieces, mostly squares of about one centimeter, made of stone, enamel, and glass paste, also colored.  The pieces were placed one next to the other with very little space between so as not to show the underlying base.

• Opum vermiculatum:  This technique was very similar to the Opus tesselatum, differing mostly in the way in which the pieces were cut to shape and size best suited for the design that was being created.  The outlines figures were more accurately depicted.

• Opus sectile:  In this type of mosaic, designs were not depicted with pieces of stone etc but instead with pieces of marble or hard stones, cut in such a manner to create uniform colors or patterns.

Materials of various origins are found in mosaics.  The most common are marble, glass paste, terracotta, mother or pearl, shells, enamels, gold and silver, depending on what was more suited to the effect that was sought.

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At Sadigh Gallery we carry magnificent Roman tesserae floor panels, mounted on wooden frames.

View these collections here:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=Mosaic&sortby=0&catid=32

Stamp and Cylinder Seals of Ancient Near East

In the ancient Near Eastern world, people created seals to indicate one’s ownership over their properties, much similar to personalized stamps or signatures we use today. There were largely two types of stamps: Stamp seal and Cylinder seal. 

Stamp seals are in the shape of hemispheres, domes, pyramids or simply had one or more flat sides depicting a design.   The early stamp seals were relatively simple with few designs.  After around 5000 BC, figurative designs started to appear on the seals, most of which consisted of animals and hunting scenes. 

By 3200 BC, seals were made in cylinder form that permitted the seal to be rolled over wet clay to produce a continuous image or frieze. 

The primary use of seals was to designate ownership. They were impressed on the clay that sealed storage jars and on lumps of clay wrapped around ropes securing bales of goods.  When the clay hardened, the impression became a permanent record, a sign of ownership.  The shape and size of cylinder seals, the type of material used, and the designs carved into the surface varied according to period and area.  As of this date, cylinders seals made from hard stones ( often black or dark green) have been found, but also of lapis lazuli, chalcedony, agate, jasper, marble, carnelian and crystal.

Cylinder seals are the only object from the ancient Near East surviving in quantity over the entire period.  Therefore, for the history of art, they are unique.  In addition, some carry inscriptions naming the ancient owners, or giving other valuable information, which is also unique since captions on objects are extremely rare in this area and period. Since cylinder seals are small and mostly made of stone, many have survived intact, while other objects such as large sculpture in the round and large stone reliefs have rarely survived intact, if at all.  Victorious armies often destroyed them of set plan, or plunderers and vandals as well as the elements took a toll of them over the centuries.  Thus, a major collection of cylinder seals has an importance well beyond the size and bulk of the objects. 

Cylinder seals are somewhat a kin to Chinese scrolls in that they need to be “unraveled”, or “rolled out”.  Because they cannot be seen completely without turning them, they are sort of early animations. Some have one continuous scene, others are “compartmentalized”, and some have inscriptions.  Many of the earliest ones have simple geometric patterns, and there are many traditional scenes involving nobility, Gods, hunters, and beasts.  Most are meant to be scrolled horizontally.

There are small seals and large seals, some lean and some fat.  In many instances, the incised images are very hard to discern directly from the seal, often because of the stone’s particular coloration, and most seals that are auctioned nowadays come with a gray clay tablet on which the seal’s impression has been made, which makes it easier to visualize.  Remarkably, the three-dimensionality of the carving is usually quite pronounced and the collectors prize the quality of the images. 

At Sadigh Gallery, we have a collection of ancient stamp and cylinder seals from ancient Syria, Assyria, Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Persia,  and Sumer.   The prices range according to the quality of the images as well as the materials used.  We have variety of seals that are made with steatite (more common), and some of the more variable ones made with semi-precious stones such as agate.   If you are looking for specific types of seals, please consult Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art, Inc. and we will be happy to assist you! 

You can also visit our website www.sadighgallery.com

Sadigh Gallery’s Sumerian Seal Collection:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=seals&sortby=0&catid=34

Sadigh Gallery’s  Mesopotamian Seal Collection:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=seals&sortby=0&catid=26

Sadigh Gallery’s Babylonian Seal Collection:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=seals&sortby=0&catid=11

Sadigh Gallery’s  Assyrian Seal Collection:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=seals&sortby=0&catid=10

Sadigh Gallery’s Syrian Seal Collection:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=seals&sortby=0&catid=35

Sadigh Gallery’s Persian Seal Collection:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=seals&sortby=0&catid=28