Cylinder Seal

CBS Register: seal cylinder, chalcedony

PBS XIV: The four winged Bel-Marduk in front face like Gilgamesh with a beard and three locks of hair on either side holds by the leg two rampant dragons. He has the usual open shawl with three zones of fringes.

The dragons are most minutely engraved. They have the wings, tail, hind legs of an eagle and their body is covered with feathers. They have the head and forelegs of a lion and a double stream of breath escapes from their nostrils. Their long ears and mane may be derived from the feather crown and tresses adorning the head of older dragons of Gudea's time.

The emblems around are the eight pointed star, the passing bird, the fly, symbols of Ishtar, Ninni, Bau.

On the reverse an ithyphallic scorpion man with arms raised over his head supports a winged flying disk. He has bird legs and scorpion tail, a beard, a fillet about his head, and his hair tied in a mass. In the center of the disk the god Ashur with head in profile lifts one hand in sign of blessing. His dress runs into the feather tail below the disk. He has a horned mitre, a beard, his hair tied in a mass. two more heads are facing him at both ends of the wings. Rays of light with hands (?) replace the talons of the eagle below.

The emblems on either side are the crescent, the seven pointed star, a seated dog, and a small squat figure with one hand up like the squat monkey of older seals.

Cyl. seal. Carnelian, 16 1/2 x 10 1/2 mm.