Cylinder Seal

CBS Register: seal cylinder, rock crystal

PBS XIV: Bel-Marduk in full pursuit and shooting with his bow at a winged dragon in flight. He has two quivers on his shoulders, an axe or sword in his belt, a round mitre, long hair and beard, and an open robe girded about and letting pass his bare leg. The fringes of his robe are spread between his feet, and the tasseled end of his belt floats behind. Six dots mark the outline of his bow like so many stars in a constellation.

The dragon has the head and forelegs of a lion, the hind legs of an eagle and the feather tail of a bird. His head is turned bak while flying, with jaws wide open and one foreleg raised, claws outspread, ready to strike. The shaft on an arrow pierces his body. The emblems around are the seven stars of the Igigi, the crescent, the rhomb, the eight pointed star and two border lines

A worshiper with both hands extended brings perhaps offerings. HE has a round mitre (?), his hair tied in amass, a beard, a Babylonian robe girded about.

The work is roughly cut with burr and wheel. Cyl. seal. Chalcedony, 27 1/2 x 15 mm.