ICOBASE

Object identity: ic220710-4

Museum identity: University museum Philadelphia. Field number: U.10872

Origin: Ur, PG/800 (Queen PU ABI’s tomb)

Period: 2600

Description: Cylinder seal made of lapis lazuli.

Measurements: 3.9; diameter 1.9 cm

Curatorial notes: The seal impression shows that the narrative is given on two registers. The top register shows two subjects of importance sitting on stools with rails and additional legs. They are attended by one servant each and drink out of conical cups. There is a subject to the left of the top register holding some object with the left hand and a bag or a pot with the right hand. On the lower register, from the left, there is one subject looking at an altar, perhaps singing incantations to the goods offered. There is a seated subject whose servant is handing him a cup. Behind the seated subject is another subject holding a cup. To his feet, there seems to be a vessel which is held by a round handle. To the far right is a harp player. The harp is of the pentatonic type, has four string. Tuning devices are shown on the top part of the harp the sound-box of which ends with a sphere. The harp has a sort of foot which would have secure the instrument on the ground. A subject faces the harpist and appears to be holding a square frame drum which might be an ‘adapa’. There is another subject just behind the drum player holding some king of stick ending with a trident.

IC220710-4

Object identity: ic220710-3

Museum identity: University museum, Phiadelphia, field number: U.12374

Origin: UR, PG/1237

Excavated: Woolley 1928/29

Measurements: 4.1 by 1.7 cm

Period: 3000-2500

Bibliography: Woolley, L. 1934, Pl. 194:22; Collon, D., First Impressions, London 1987, P.152:668 and 153:668.

Curatorial notes: Another libation scene comparable to ic220710:2.  There are two registers. At the top one, left, two facing male deities, or kings or important subject share a pot of beer that they drink sipping from long reeds. They sit on square stools, one build from a frame, on the left and the other has additional legs, one with an angle at the front. Behind them is another subject sitting on a stool and is attended by a servant. There is an altar between them. The lower register has a lyrist playing a portable boviform instrument fitted with five strings indicating that it might have been a pentatonic model. On each side of the lyrist, there are three subject. On the right they seem to be clapping their hands and on the right they might have had some other idiophonic instruments. The subject at the far left on the impression appears to have a stick or a sword resting on his right shoulder. Under the lyre, there are two children, or perhaps dwarfs. They are dancing.

ic220710-3

Object identity: ic2201710-2

Museum identity: University museum, Philadelphia, field number: U.11904

Description: Cylinder seal made from a core of bitumen with gold plate applied to it.

Measurements: Height: 4cm; Diameter: 1.8 cm

Origin: Ur, PG/1043

Period: 3000-2500

Excavated: Woolley, 1928/29

Curatorial notes: This is a truly boviform monumental lyre where the body of the bovid is more than suggested: it resembles a small cow/bull. It is probable that the body was made of raw hide having been stretched over a wooden model of a cow where the upright would have been inserted. It is a pentachordal instrument which would strongly suggest pentatonism although this is impossible to prove. The narrative is depicted on two registers. The top one describes a libation scene where two deities, or kings, or high ranking males are served each by his own servant holding their left hand to their chest in a sign of reverence. They are sitting on square stools with three rails showing on the side of each and a curved seat. An altar is placed between them on which goods are placed: cups and loaves?

The lower register has a musical scene with a male lyrist sitting on a square stool with three visible rails on the side. In front, or at the back of the lyrist are  a pair of clapper players, and one single player of clappers. Because the clapper players on each side of the lyrist are the same repeated, it is impossible to say if the clapper players were in front or behind the lyrist. From this scene it is possible to derive that boviform lyres were played in libation ceremonies with the accompaniment of pairs, or single clapper players. Note the ‘boomerang’shape of the clappers that we know from ancient Egypt.

Bibliography: Woolley, Ur excavation, 1934, Pl. 193:21; Collon, D., First impressions, 1987, p. 152:669 and 153:669.

IC220710-2

Object identity: ic2201710-2

Museum identity: University museum, Philadelphia, field number: U.11904

Description: Cylinder seal made from a core of bitumen with gold plate applied to it.

Measurements: Height: 4cm; Diameter: 1.8 cm

Origin: Ur, PG/1043

Period: 3000-2500

Excavated: Woolley, 1928/29

Curatorial notes: This is a truly boviform monumental lyre where the body of the bovid is more than suggested: it resembles a small cow/bull. It is probable that the body was made of raw hide having been stretched over a wooden model of a cow where the upright would have been inserted. It is a pentachordal instrument which would strongly suggest pentatonism although this is impossible to prove. The narrative is depicted on two registers. The top one describes a libation scene where two deities, or kings, or high ranking males are served each by his own servant holding their left hand to their chest in a sign of reverence. They are sitting on square stools with three rails showing on the side of each and a curved seat. An altar is placed between them on which goods are placed: cups and loaves?

The lower register has a musical scene with a male lyrist sitting on a square stool with three visible rails on the side. In front, or at the back of the lyrist are  a pair of clapper players, and one single player of clappers. Because the clapper players on each side of the lyrist are the same repeated, it is impossible to say if the clapper players were in front or behind the lyrist. From this scene it is possible to derive that boviform lyres were played in libation ceremonies with the accompaniment of pairs, or single clapper players. Note the ‘boomerang’shape of the clappers that we know from ancient Egypt.

Bibliography: Woolley, Ur excavation, 1934, Pl. 193:21; Collon, D., First impressions, 1987, p. 152:669 and 153:669.

Object identity: IC190710-21

Museum identity: BM89359;1825,0503.161; Additional IDs: R.161 (Rich Coll., 1825)

Current location: The British Museum

Type: Cylinder seal and modern impression from it

Medium: Green jasper

Short description: Small cylinder seal with stone suspension loop; female musician playing an Elamite harp with one hand raised and holding child by the other; stylised tree, star.

Excavation site: Unknown, probably bought from a dealer.

Civilisation: Probably Elamite

Period: 1500 – 1000 BC

Acquired from: Mary Rich, Widow of Claudius James Rich (1787-1821), Traveller, East India Company Resident in Baghdad, whose collection of Manuscripts, medals and antiquities was sold by her to the British Museum in 1825. Mrs Rich donated an oil painting of her husband.

Date of acquisition: 1825

Measurements: Height: 1.85 centimetres; Diameter: 1 centimetres

Curatorial notes: This is a rare example of a typical Elamite harp.

Additional information:

Bibliography: Cullimore, A, Oriental Cylinders, Impressions of ancient oriental cylinders, or rolling seals of the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Medo-Persians, London, G.W. Nickisson, 1842; Saggs, Henry William Frederick, Babylonians, London, BMP, 1995; Lajard, F, Introduction a l’étude du culte public et des mystères de Mithra en Orient et en Occident, Paris, 1847; Porada, 1980d; Collon, 1987, p.152.

IC190710:21

Object identity: IC190709-1

Museum Identity: British Museum: 1945,1013.23; BM 129479; Q – 23 (45)

Current location: The British Museum

Type: Cylinder seal

Medium: Green serpentine

Short description: A war-god stands full-face with six weapons rising from his shoulders; His left hand holds some form of pointed weapon and his right hand holds a dagger. He wears a long open cape revealing his naked and muscular legs. He turns his head to the right where stands a (perhaps) war goddess with seven weapons rising from her shoulders. She holds two sticks? With her left hand and has her right arm pointing at the warrior god. A young ram is leaping up before god. To the right of the Warrior is a horned character with a water bowl from which water flows. To her right stands another woman with a fawn on her shoulders whilst her right arm is raised in a form of salute to another horned figure also with weapons rising from her shoulders. Between them stands a Balag drum on which rests a rope with a loop, probably to carry the object.

Excavation site: Unknown

Civilisation: Akkadian

Period: 2800 BC?

Acquired from: Purchased from Charles Alexander Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk

Date of acquisition: 1945

Measurements: Height: 3.4 centimetres; Diameter: 2.3 centimetres (max?); Diameter: 2.05 centimetres (min?)

Curatorial notes: The instrument on this impression is identified on the basis of its resemblance with Sumerian cuneiform sign LAK 41 (Iconea 2008, p.130)

Inscription: i-li-esh-dar / dub-sar Meaning: Illi-Eshtar, scribe.

Additional information: With contribution from The Art Fund and Purchased from Charles Alexander Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk. Previous owner/ex-collection Bateman. Obtained from the Bateman Collection in 1893 (Lot 110).

Bibliography: Collon, Dominique, Catalogue of the Western Asiatic Seals in the British Museum: Cylinder Seals II: Akkadian, Post Akkadian, Ur III Periods, II, London, BMP, 1982; Ball, C J, Light from the East, or the witness of the monuments, London, 1899

IC190709:1

Object identity: IC190710-22

Museum identity: BM131690/1954,0510.1/A.391

Current location: British Museum / G56/MES1/3

Type: Bulla/seal

Medium: Clay

Short description: With impression of a banquet scene with musicians. Incribed: i(ban) ma i mi-at bo el-tak-ki. It is a record stating that the contents of the bag to which the label was attached, were 5 sutu of figs, and that the recipient expects a further 160 items.

Excavation site: Chagar Bazar

Civilisation: Early Dynastic III

Period: 2650BC-2350BC

Excavated by: Professor Sir Max Edgar Lucien Mallowan

Acquired from:

Date of acquisition: 1954

Measurements: Height: 4.12 centimetres; Length: 6.03 centimetres

Curatorial notes: This is of very few depictions of a harp with a footstand. They occur at the end of the fourth and early third millenium. I would date this example, with regard organology, to the turn of the millennium.

Additional information: The atypical instruments seem to originate from Syria, at both the sites of Chagar Bazar and Tel Chuera. However, there is another similar instrument on a seal found at UR but which might well have originated from Syria also.

Bibliography: Mallowan, M E L, Excavations at Tall Chagar Bazar, and an archaeological survey of the Habur region. Second campaign, Iraq IV, London, British School of Archaeology in Iraq, 1937

IC190710:22

Object identity: IC190710-2

Museum identity: British Museum: 1854,0222.4; BM/Big number: 89899

Object types: cylinder seal

Medium: steatite

Excavation site: South West Iran

Period: Proto-Elamite/Jemdet Nasr

Description: Brown / orange baked steatite (enstatite) cylinder seal with mouflon; with Balag-drum?

Measurements: Height: 30 millimetres; Diameter: 15 millimetres

Acquisition date: 1854

Acquired from: Purchased from William Webster

Curatorial notes: The object above the mouflon’s rump has a typical hour-glass shape which is well known from the early Sumerian logogramme for BALAG, an hour-glass drum.

Bibliographic reference
Wiseman, Donald J, Catalogue of the Western Asiatic Seals in the British Museum: Cylinder Seals I: Uruk – Early Dynastic Periods, London, British Museum, 1962. (Wiseman D J 1962a)

IC190710:2

Object identity: IC190710-28

Museum identity: The british museum: 1898,1013.139

Location: The British Museum

Object type: cylinder seal

Medium: serpentine

Period: 2400BC-2200BC, Akkadian

Description: Greenish black serpentine cylinder seal; a god with his left hand raised, beneath a crescent moon, sits facing the seated water-god who has his right hand raised. Both are bearded, wear flounched robes and identical horned head-dress and sit on identical thrones. The water-god is identified by double streams flowing from a vessel he holds and by three fish which leap before him. Between the two figures are a small lute-player, who is bearded and wears a fringed robe and sits on a camp-stool facing the first god, and the two-faced attendant of the water-god who wears a striped skirt and raises his left hand. Terminal, a large pot between two gods and level with their heads.

Measurements: height: 2.8 centimetres; diameter: 1.6 centimetres

Acquired in: 1898

Acquired from: either N Davourgicas , or Dagalgikos (Acquisition source’s name is given as Mr N. Davourgicas in register but according to register the Ass Nos. book gives source’s name as Dagalgikos.)

Curatorial notes: This a typical example of a long necked lute with tuning pegs, unlike BM 89096 where the strings were tuned by means of hanging tassels.

BM 28806