A Near Eastern diamond-shaped amulet made from an orange hardstone featuring a quadruped zoomorphic figure on both sides. Carved on one side is a standing quadruped, possibly a horse or ibex, looking backwards to the right, with the background decorated by foliage motifs in figural short lines. On the other side is a horned, winged quadruped, possibly a griffin, facing left. The animals have been enriched with linear patterns on the bodies, creating a highly stylised image. The amulet is perforated lengthways for suspension. The orange hardstone presents with some natural black striations. Seals are often made of stone however there are also examples rendered in bone, ivory, faience, glass, metal, wood, and occasionally 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 or fantasised zoomorphic figural have been found throughout Mesopotamia in contexts dating to the late forth millennium BC, although stamp seals and cylinder seals are predominant types in the ancient Near East. Measurements: (circa) L 2.7cm x W 2.2cm Provenance: Ex SM collection London, acquired 1970s-2000s.