Ancient Cylinder Seals for Sale:
Sumerian, Akkadian, Mesopotamian, Old Babylonian, Levantine, Ur III
Including a Fine Collection of Cylinder Seals Deaccessioned from the California Museum of Ancient Art

Cylinder seals were used by ancient merchants to seal cargo, by administrators and other officials to seal scroll cases, clay bullae, cuneiform tablets and wax-sealed chests. They were a mark of prestige, and like a watch or nice pen in the front pocket, the quality of a seal often indicated social status.

Sumerian and Mesopotamian artifacts are quite rare, and prized on the collector market. Because of this, countless destructive archaeological atrocities have been committed, including the pillaging of museums and looting of archaeological sites throughout the Middle East. This destruction must stop, and I hope that all of those ill-gotten artifacts find their way back to where they belong. Every single item I offer for sale here has been painstakingly authenticated and the legal origin of their source determined. These come from old private collections, museum deaccessions, and auctions with proven legal ownership outside their country of origin prior to 1970 and the UNESCO treaty. Enjoy!

Ancient Mesopotamia. Old Babylonian, circa 1820-1730 BC, Isin-Larsa period. A hematite cylinder seal inscribed with two standing nude males, who bear staffs and face another standing nude male, who holds a staff with wings, flanking two trussed geese. Two lizards are shown rearing up behind. L: 15mm, excellent detail! ref: Yale p. 416-2 for type. Provenance: Ex Rihani family collection, acquired before 1991. #AP2641: $1200 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia, circa late 3rd to 2nd millennium BC. A fine quartz cylinder seal, depicting a seated deity, with two supplicants before, pseudo-cuneiform inscription in two columns. L: 23mm. Ex McDowell collection, WI, the collection mainly purchased through Sotheby's in 1965. #AP2649: $850 SOLD

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Related terms: ancient stone seals, prehistoric seals, carved document seals artifacts, clay seal impression, ancient antiquities, antiquity, antiquities, ancient artifact dealer Los Angeles

Star of David? Holy Land, c. 1000 BC. Fantastic hematite cylinder seal with a 6 pointed star! Undrilled with central depressions on either side for mounting into a handle or similar, and depicting a stylized seated figure amongst stylized animals and cult objects, a six-pointed star at center. Made right around the time of Biblical King David (c. 1010-970 BCE). 13 x 16mm. Ex Robert Wilson Collection, acquired in Beirut in 1967. RARE! #AP2267: $950 SOLD

Holy Land, c. 2nd Millennium BC. Great crème marble cylinder seal. Depicts two standing men holding long spears, all within a dotted border. H: 2.9 cm. Ex Wiltshire, UK private collection. #AH2228: $550 SOLD

Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. Neo-Assyrian, c. 8th-7th Century BC. Great chalcedony cylinder seal. Engraved with symbols: winged genie, fish, crescent, star and “T”. Nice translucent grayish chalcedony stone. L: 1.62cm. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS2011), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2170: $575 SOLD

Mesopotamia. Jemdat Nasr, c. 3200 - 2900 BC. A choice Jemdat Nasr pink marble cylinder seal depicting stylized seated figures, each with a star above their head, deep pellets between. L: 21mm; Dia: 23mm. Quite large, well-preserved and attractive!
Ex Rice Collection, Southern California. #AP2275: $750 SOLD

Battle Scene!
Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. Neo-Assyrian, Anatolia, c. 9th century BC. Great large black serpentine cylinder seal. Depicts an archer & stag, bird(?), omega-like object, with line borders. Nice stone. L: 3.10cm (1 1/4”), thick and heavy. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS2201), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2174: $650 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia. Neo-Assyrian, c. 9th - 7th Century BC. Wonderful Neo-Assyrian glazed composition cylinder seal depicting four cranes standing to left, horizontal border above and below. L: 2 cm. Well-preserved with good surfaces and nice light green-blue color. Rollout not included but I can include a bit of clay for you to roll it out on. Ex Los Angeles private collection. #AP2509: $375 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia. Old Babylonian, 19th-16th Century BC. Nice hematite cylinder seal,engraved with a design of a winged nude goddess and worshipper. ref: Buch.880 var. L: 13mm, holed through. Design somewhat worn, chipped edge and rough spot. ex-Pegasi Numismatics. #AP2446: $399 SOLD

Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. Jemdt Nasr c. 3000 BC. HUGE creme shell-core cylinder seal. Depicts a Temple herd scene: 2 penned recumbent ibexes, fence & gate adjacent, in linear style. L: 5.0cm (2 inches) long! Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS0902), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. The largest of the collection! #AP2157: $750 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia. Mitanni, c. 1400-1300 BC. Black steatite cylinder seal depicting standing figures and animals standing upon their hind legs, apparently either side of an altar. L: 20mm. With custom stand including museum quality rollout (stand measures 2 inches across). Ex Royal Athena Gallery, New York. Old collection number on end of seal. Similar to the Marcopoli collection catalog number 573 and Metropolitan Museum number 56.81.43 for general type. #AP2547: $650 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia, Old Babylonian period, c. 1894-1595 BC. Hematite cylinder seal depicting the king holding a mace, in royal posture, facing a supplicant goddess who stands to his left, three vertical columns of cuneiform text. L: 22 mm. ref: Colton vol. 3, now 165-166, p. 105 pl. XV; ref: Domonique Collon, Catalogue of Western Asiatic Seals in the British Museum volume 3: Isn-Larsa & Old Babylonian Period for type. Ex McDowell collection, WI, the collection mainly purchased through Sotheby's in 1965. #AP2650: $750 SOLD
Ancient Mesopotamia. Akkadian, c. 2350-2150 BC. A large limestone cylinder seal, engraved with a seated goddess holding a cup, two worshippers before her. Behind, a monkey-headed deity holding a scepter or standard. ref: Yale 475 for type. 27x1xxx9mm. Quite large for these, with suspension holes not drilled all the way through. Ex McDowell collection, WI, the collection mainly purchased through Sotheby's in 1965. #AP2648: $1200 SOLD

Very Early Sumerian Cylinder seal, ex-Museum!
Sumerian, Early Dynastic II, c. 2600 BC. Great creme shell cylinder seal with a contest scene with 2 lions attacking 2 bulls. L: 19mm. With museum quality roll-out. Ex New Jersey private collection; ex-California Museum of Ancient Art de-accession (acquisition # CMAA018-M0047). #AP2148: $650 SOLD

Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. Jemdt Nasr c. 3000 BC. Excellent hematite cylinder seal. Engraved with a frieze: 3 goats, 3 fish & a rosette. L: 1.64cm. Beautiful stone. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS4403), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2212: $750 SOLD

Ancient Sumeria, Jemdet Nasr Period, c. 3100 - 2900 BC. Great marble cylinder-seal. Basic deeply-engraved design... when rolled out looks to represent two eyes! Very cool. Holed through lenthwise. H: 16mm (5/8"). ex-Thomas Bentley Cederlind estate, Portland, OR. #AP2254: $525 SOLD

Proto-Elamite, c. 3400-2500 BC. Incredible red steatite Looped cylinder seal. Engraved with a net pattern, and linear borders. Not holed, this had a suspension loop, broken in antiquity. Gorgeous stone. L 2.31cm. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS3118), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2206: $650 SOLD

Sumerian, c. 2300–2000 BC. Neat Neo-Sumerian black serpentine cylinder seal depicting a goddess who presents a worshipper to a seated deity, lunar crescent above. L: 18mm. Reverse scheme, Cf. Marcopoli 95; Ashmolean 392. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art Deaccession (acc. #1501). Good seal, rough photo. #AP2161: $299 SOLD

Mitannian, 15th-14th Century BC. Tan composition cylinder seal. Depicts two men flanking a sacred tree. L: 1.75cm. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS4402), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2211: $525 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia. Akkadian, 23rd-22nd century BC. A fantastic and large Akkadian limestone cylinder seal. Finely engraved with a contest scene of animal combat; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. Attributed by scholar W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham 1970-1993: 'Cylinder seal of fawn stone, 26 x 15.5 mm. Contest scene: lion attacks horned animal above tree, hero to left, second horned animal to left. Akkadian, c.2300-2200 B.C. Condition fine. W.G. Lambert.' 10.87 grams, 26.11mm (1"). Very fine condition. Provenance: Property of a London gentleman; previously in the late Hassan Reyhani collection before 2000; acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s-early 1990s; thence by descent. #AP2490: $1200 SOLD

Ancient Sumerian. Jamdet Nasr to Early Dynastic Mesopotamia, 3000-2700 BC. Great black stone cylinder seal, nicely engraved with three running gazelles. 18mm. Crack possibly repaired. ex J Tabet collection. #AP2504: $450 SOLD

Holy Land. Canaanite, c. 1200 - 1000 BC. A small black chlorite cylinder seal, depicting a pair of seated figures facing one another. L: 1.35cm. Rollout not included but I can include a bit of clay for you to roll it out on. Ex California Museum of Art De-Accession, originally donated to the museum in 1989. #AP2232: $399 SOLD

Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. Neo-Assyrian, Levant, c. 8th-7th Century BC. Interesting white frit cylinder seal. Depicts a worshiper before a star upon a stand (also been interpreted as a palm or fruit tree). L: 2.06cm. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS2202), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2175: $650 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia, c. 2600 - 2350 BC. Great Early Dynastic III limestone cylinder seal depicting crossed lions and a standing hero. L: 25 mm. Light mineral deposits. Cf. Buchanan, Early Near Eastern Seals in the Yale Babylonian collection, p. 109, no. 291 for a near identical example. Rollout not included but I can include a bit of clay for you to roll it out on. Ex Los Angeles, CA private collection. #AP2487: $475 SOLD

Very Early Sumerian Cylinder seal, ex-Museum!
Sumerian, Early Dynastic II, c. 2600 BC. Beige and rose-brown marble cylinder seal with two figural groups, each depicting a man and animal contest scene. L: 14mm. With museum quality roll-out. Ex New Jersey private collection; ex-California Museum of Ancient Art de-accession (acquisition # CMAA018-M0045). #AP2147: $399 SOLD

Holy Land. Canaanite, Late 2nd Millennium BC. Nice black chlorite cylinder seal. Engraved with a standing figure with other stylized figures & two rows of dots. Nice stone, good patina, light deposits. Cf. Marcopoli 662. ref: L 1.93cm. Well worn from ancient use! Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS5016), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2230: $399 SOLD

Hittite, c. 3rd Millennium BC. Great large black-green serpentine cylinder seal. Engraved with an extremely enigmatic scene depicting Figures? or animals? Nice stone, light deposits. L 3.11cm (1 3/16”). Very interesting! Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS4802), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. Rare! #AP2214: $475 SOLD

Proto-Elamite, c. 3400-2500 BC. Nice black serpentine cylinder seal. Engraved with 3 zigzag registers with horizontal line separating the bottom register. Lovely stone, light deposits. L: 2.31cm. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS3115), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2203: $475 SOLD

Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. Neo-Assyrian, c. 8th-7th Century BC. Great green chlorite cylinder seal. Engraved with two registers; tree & rhomboid. Lovely stone, light deposits. L: 2.25cm. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS2101), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2173: $450 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia, c. 3000-2000 BC. Fantastic and very rare black serpentine cylinder seal. Depicts a striding male figure, a fiery wheel adjacent to his head, with a column of cuneiform inscription behind, the surface completely covered with a magical spell. H: 24 mm. Some surface wear. Extremely rare! Rollout not included but I can include a bit of clay for you to roll it out on. Ex collection of Robert Thompson, Philadelphia, acquired from Mark Reid - the Time Machine. #AP2488: $950 SOLD

Ancient Sumeria/Mesopotamia. Jemdt Nasr c. 3000 BC. Large serpentine cylinder seal. Depicts a recumbent quadruped, fish, crescent & 2 dots. Nice black/brown serpentine stone. Well worn from ancient use. L: 3.5cm (1 3/8”), and quite thick and heavy. Ex California Museum of Ancient Art De-Accession (Inv. #CS0904), acquired in 1989. Comes with museum-quality rollout. #AP2159: $650 SOLD

Neo-Babylonian, 7th - 6th Century BC. Black steatite. Tree of life with winged solar disk representing Shamash above. To right a pair of winged deities back to back. Wide, well-worn suspension hole. L: 29mm. With museum-quality rollout. Ex Seward Kennedy collection. #AP2549: $850 SOLD

Syrian, Sumerian period, c. 19th - 18th Century BC. Deep green steatite cylinder seal, engraved with standing figures with a heron, other animals around. L: 22 mm. Well-worn with use in antiquity! With museum-quality rollout. Ex Seward Kennedy collection. #AP2550: $550 SOLD

Ancient Holy Land, Levant. Old Testament period, c. 2nd Millennium BC. Long carnelian cylinder seal, with standing figures and animals, a vertigal register of pseudo-glyphs between, and five-pointed star or pentagram above. L: 38mm. With museum-quality rollout. Ex Seward Kennedy collection. #AP2551: $550 SOLD

Ancient Mesopotamia, Old Babylonian period, c. 1894-1595 BC. Hematite cylinder seal depicting the warrior goddess with double lion-headed staff, supplicant king and deities around presenting offerings; human head in field. L: 24mm. ref: Collon, volume 3, p. 158-159, pl. XXVIII & XIX for type. Ex McDowell collection, WI, the collection mainly purchased through Sotheby's in 1965. #AP2651: $950 SOLD