Lianghe civilization yinji
For a while, I saw a lot of such small objects. I didn't know what it was before, but from experience it should be a seal or something. Nature should be related to the seal cutting culture in China.
This thing is called the roller seal, which is an ancient object and culture born with the civilization of the two rivers: in Syria in 8000 BC, a circular seal was used as a precedent for marking clay tablets, which was mainly used as decorations and witchcraft at that time. In the middle of the sixth millennium, people in northern Iraq used seals to print linear patterns on clay blocks or boards to distinguish different things.
The oldest sites of discovery-Susa and uruk (Elam)-were printed in volumes around 3500 BC. About 300 years later, engraved seals appeared in the two river basins and southwestern Iran.
Before the fourth millennium, roller printing appeared in Sumer in southern Mesopotamia and Elam in southwestern Iran. Seal came into being before writing, and at the same time, it appeared at the same time as metallurgy because metal was used to carve lithographs.
During the 3,000 years from Sumerian times in Mesopotamia to Amenid dynasty in Persia, roller seal was more widely used than seal. About 1000 years ago, seals became the mainstream, and in the fifth century, cylindrical seals were no longer used. The reason is that lamia, written on papyrus and parchment, replaced the cuneiform characters written on clay tablets, and roller printing was only suitable for clay tablets, so it was completely replaced by seals.
In the years before the invention of writing, seals were used to leave dry seals on the surface of hollow clay balls to indicate the transaction of goods. Later, it was used as a seal, such as the seal of cans, the seal of storage rooms and warehouse doors; The most widely used is to leave a seal on a clay tablet with cuneiform characters.
Roller marks have been found in legal contracts, treaties and letters. If the seal is lost or stolen, it will be regarded as a very important event and will be officially reported and announced.
Ancient Egyptian seal
Scarab, a unique seal of ancient Egypt.
New dynasty? International pressure? bc2 100- 1900
The scarab (Aton) and the eagle (Ra) in ancient Egypt represent the sun god.
The seal ring, like the seal, was once used as a symbol of the transmission of the Pharaoh's throne in ancient Egypt, among which the most famous and dated seal ring of Scarabaenssacer was made about 1000 BC.
Ancient Indian civilization also had seal culture:
So far, a large number of ancient Indian seals have been found, and the ancient Indian seal characters are the earliest known writing system in the world, so some people simply call indus valley civilization a seal civilization.
Indian seal, Indian seal
Small sculptures in the Indus civilization era (or Harappa civilization, the earliest known urban culture in the Indian subcontinent). More than 2,000 * * * pieces were unearthed at the sites of Harappa and Mohenjodaro (about 4,600 years ago). The materials of the seal are frozen (slippery) stone, clay, ivory and copper. Which is usually a press-on square seal.
The main shape is square, but there are also a few circles, ellipses and rectangles with perforated buttons on the back. The seal depicts in relief the common animal images in India at that time, such as bulls, rhinoceroses, tigers, elephants, antelopes, crocodiles, some imaginary compound animals, such as the horned tiger and the three-headed beast, and some Hindu gods and some scenes in real life. Among them, the description of animals is the most successful, such as the accurate shape of cattle, vigorous and powerful, successfully showing the bones and muscles of cattle, vivid and vivid.
The surface design of this square seal is quite mature, and the inscription and pattern appear in the same seal at the same time. The function of the seal is unknown because the inscription has not been deciphered, but it is speculated that the carved image may be a kind of worship, used to seal the soil and express the identity of the seal, or have the function of amulet.
Persian seal culture:
Sasan is the last empire of Persia, and its agate seal has inherited the traditions of the two river basins and Central Asia since 4000 BC.
Sasan seal mostly appears in the form of bead chain, also known as Sasan seal bead, which is a hot spot in the collection field.
Small-faced printed pearls show the cultural heritage of Sassanian dynasty, maintain the cultural traditions of the two river basins and ancient Persia, and are also influenced by Roman and Byzantine cultures.
Agate carving of Sassanian dynasty
Ring seals in ancient Greece and Rome
When it comes to rings, everyone will think of the Hollywood blockbuster The Lord of the Rings, whose origin is the seal of the ring in ancient Rome. The ring seal of early Rome was learned from Greece. It is not only a symbol of power, but also used as an ornament, and gradually evolved into a kind of jewelry that is popular all over the world.
The themes of Greek seals are mostly influenced by Egyptian traditions, mainly dung beetles, sphinxes, flying horses, lions and so on. Unlike Egypt, there is almost no hidden religious significance behind them.
Athens Goddess Golden Ring 4th century BC-3rd century BC Seattle Art Museum
Seal of ancient Roman rights
Sealing rings have been widely used in a quite amazing range. The reason for this is that even people who are illiterate or illiterate can easily stamp.
Ancient Roman red agate bronze right sealing ring