A finely engraved Western Asiatic dark brown hardstone demi-sphere stamp seal. The face of the seal bears a clearly incised image of a reclining mythical creature with a lion's body, bird's head and feet, wings and a tail, possibly a griffin. Beneath the creature's beak are several small, vertical incisions. The dome of the seal features a vertical perforation, suggesting suspension for perhaps personal ornamentation. In the ancient world, seals guaranteed the authenticity of marked ownership. As such, they were instrumental in legal transactions, and in the protection of goods against theft. Mesopotamia has been regarded as the cradle of ancient glyphic arts, with the earliest cylinder seals proven to have been firstly executed during the Bronze Age, circa 4th Millennium BC. Each following period in ancient Mesopotamian history contributed in developing styles and techniques of glyphic arts. Zoomorphic, mythical creatures and religious scenes are one of the most favoured decorative repertoires applied on cylinder seals of the period. Measurements: Height~1.8cm, Width~1.7cm, Depth~1.5cm Provenance: Ex S London collection.