CDLI Seals 001296 (physical) (P270232)

• Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

• Artifact type: Cylinder seal Artifact type comments:

  physical

• Material: Metamorphic rock > Lapis lazuli
• Measurements (mm): 45.0 high × 15.0 wide
• Weight:
• Artifact Preservation:
• Condition Description:
• Join Information:
• Seal no.: S001296
• Seal information:

  Inscription

• Artifact comments:

  The seal is a finely carved double-register banquet scene that carries an inscription giving a title and personal name Dumukisal. Combining elements of other banquet seals, here three seated celebrants are show in the upper register: two face each other and drink through tubes from a large vessel; the other raises her hand in a gesture to a standing servant. Curiously, the inscription is placed between these two figures, without regard for their obvious narrative coherence. Across the lower register is an elaborate scene of dancing, singing, and musical performance. From the left, a man carrying a staff over his shoulder is preceded by two females clapping cymbals. This group faces a woman playing a bull lyre. Beneath the instrument, two small figures dace; their diminutive size had been interpreted either as a portrayal of dwarfs or as an attempt to show the figures in front of the musical instrument. Facing the performers is a group of three additional female figures with cymbals.

• Genre(s):
• Language(s):

• primary: Pittman Treasures from Royal Tombs of Ur (pp. 75-84), 79 no. 19

  [Pittman1998UrTreasures] Pittman, Holly. 1998. “Cylinder Seals.” Edited by Richard L. Zettler. Treasures from Royal Tombs of Ur, 75–84.

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• history: Frankfort Cyl. Seals, pl. 15a

  [Frankfort1939CylSeals] Frankfort, Henri. 1939. Cylinder Seals: A Documentary Essay on the Art and Religion of the Ancient Near East. Macmillan.

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• history: UE 2, no. 022

  [Woolley1934UE2] Woolley, C. Leonard. 1934. The Royal Cemetery: A Report on the Predynastic and Sargonic Graves Excavated between 1926 and 1931. Ur Excavations, vol. 2.

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• Composite No.:
• Museum No.: UM 30-12-002 (was CBS 17721)
• Accession No.:

• Provenience: Ur (mod. Tell Muqayyar) Provenience Comments:

  Group:
  [A.1-.2] Large gold lunate earring.
  [B.1-.2] Two heavy gold wire spiral coil hair rings.
  [C] Necklace of gold and lapis triangles.
  [D] Necklace of gold and lapis double round beads.
  [E] Gold pin with fluted lapis head V B.
  [F] Lapis cylinder seal two registers.
  [G-I] A set of 3 gold rings, each of cable pattern with plain rim.
  [J-L] Are human finger bones found inside the rings. Added by project]

• Elevation:
• Stratigraphic Level:
• Excavation No: U 12374F
• Findspot Square:
• Findspot Comments:

  This seal was found under the body of "individual no. 7," who was collapsed in the corner of the death pit near the cluster of three magnificent lyres - one of gold, one of silver, and one a large bull effigy lyre of mixed materials. In addition to the seal, the victim was rather sedately adorned, wearing only gold earrings, hair wires, a gold pin with a fluted lapis lazuli ball head, three gold fingers, a "dog collar" necklace of gold and lapis lazuli, and a lapis lazuli bead necklace.

• Period: ED IIIb (ca. 2500-2340 BC)
• Dates Referenced:
• Alternative Years:
• Date Comments:
• Accounting Period:

Consult this artifact as presented on the website of collections and projects:

• Penn Museum (312677) (312677)
• Electronic Babylonian Library (CBS.17721) (CBS.17721)
• Ur Online Project (12404) (12404)

This artifact is a physical seal. See below of a list of its impression(s):