Cylinder Seal

Rogers: A small seal of haematite showing a rather fantastic arrangment of figures. All the figures are pictured with long necks, and unusually thin bodies. This may be due to the fact that the seal is small in circumference. This seal, like Nos. 29, 30, and 31, can hardly be placed in any chronological order becuase there are no other seals of the type in the collection. The most interesting figure in the group is a man with long bird like wings instead of arms. The next figure to the right is drawn partially in profile and partly front view. One arm hangs by his side and the other is raised. the third figure is pictured in the nude and shows some muscular development. He seems to be holding a long fish-like animal in one hand. The last figure shows some Assyrian influence in dress. When ever a side view of these figures is possible it shows the hair worn in a long curved que (sic), perhaps due to Syrian influence. In the back is a swan or duck, and a slight indication of foliage. Porada: A long-skirted figure, with tasseled belt, holding a plant, upon a diagonal branch of which perches a bird; face to face with the skirted figure, a nude hero, with a club in one hand, holding with the other, head down, an antelope, upon a horn of which perches a second bird. A nude hero with a club, presenting an antelope head-down to a nude winged goddess. In the field: a ball-staff and three groups of three drillings each.

Porada, Edith. "Concordance of Seals in the Oriental Museum, UIUC." Unpublished ms., ca. 1950. Rogers, Frances. Babylonian Seal Cylinders as a Historical Source, UIUC Master's Thesis, 1929.