A very fine large Western Asiatic stamp seal carved from hardstone with hues of brown, white and red. The seal features a circular, flat face with an engraved depiction of a recumbent stag. The legs are folded beneath the body, and large, swooping antlers dominate the top field. Three triangular motifs decorate the space surrounding the stag. The seal features a thick knob handle, decorated with a horizontal band of curved chevrons to its cylindrical body. The rounded top is perforated for suspension, enriched with an encircling groove around the two openings and a longitudinal incision in the middle. Some wear and earthy encrustations to the surface. This seal comes with a professionally baked, modern impression. Seals were often made of stone however there are also examples rendered in bone, ivory, faience, glass, metal, wood, and even sun-dried or baked clay. 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. Seal amulets with stylised animals have been found throughout Mesopotamia in contexts dating to the late fourth millennium BC, although stamp seals and cylinder seals were the predominant types in the ancient Near East. Measurements: L 4.5cm x W 4.7cm x H 4.4cm Provenance: Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.