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| Keywords: Near Eastern - Scaraboid with Icon of a Sphinx (?) - Walters 571529 - Back.jpg This steatite ovoid is incised with a horizontally arranged bottom design of a hawk-headed sphinx with a long raised tail The top displays a pattern with two central parallel lines and two sets of 'V'-shaped lines on each side The back and sides are not standardized and the deeply incised lines vary slightly in depth and thickness The layout of the top is balanced The shape of the figure on the bottom is intentionally irregular The different positions of the legs and open pick demonstrate the energy of the scene The back is carefully made and the bottom is more rough Objects such as this may have an amuletic rather than an administrative seal function The amulet should secure divine/royal power and provide magical protection for its owner The mammal motifs of Syro-Palestine ovoids represent usually antelopes lions unidentifiable quadrupeds or fabulous creatures This figure combines the body of a lion with a hawk head and has to be identifed as sphinx It combines divine and royal aspects and therefore heavenly and earthly protection Ovoid 9th-7th century BC; Setting Modern IA II black steatite with silver setting cm 0 9 1 5 1 9 ; Inner Diam cm 2 6 ; Outer Diam cm 3 accession number 57 1529 2180 Henry Walters Baltimore date and mode of acquisition unknown Walters Art Museum Henry Walters Acquired by Henry Walters 1929 place of origin Near East Walters Art Museum license Ancient Near East art in the Walters Art Museum Jewellery in the Walters Art Museum Art of the ancient Near East Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review Near Eastern - Scaraboid with Icon of a Sphinx (?) - Walters 571529 - Back.jpg This steatite ovoid is incised with a horizontally arranged bottom design of a hawk-headed sphinx with a long raised tail The top displays a pattern with two central parallel lines and two sets of 'V'-shaped lines on each side The back and sides are not standardized and the deeply incised lines vary slightly in depth and thickness The layout of the top is balanced The shape of the figure on the bottom is intentionally irregular The different positions of the legs and open pick demonstrate the energy of the scene The back is carefully made and the bottom is more rough Objects such as this may have an amuletic rather than an administrative seal function The amulet should secure divine/royal power and provide magical protection for its owner The mammal motifs of Syro-Palestine ovoids represent usually antelopes lions unidentifiable quadrupeds or fabulous creatures This figure combines the body of a lion with a hawk head and has to be identifed as sphinx It combines divine and royal aspects and therefore heavenly and earthly protection Ovoid 9th-7th century BC; Setting Modern IA II black steatite with silver setting cm 0 9 1 5 1 9 ; Inner Diam cm 2 6 ; Outer Diam cm 3 accession number 57 1529 2180 Henry Walters Baltimore date and mode of acquisition unknown Walters Art Museum Henry Walters Acquired by Henry Walters 1929 place of origin Near East Walters Art Museum license Ancient Near East art in the Walters Art Museum Jewellery in the Walters Art Museum Art of the ancient Near East Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review | ||||
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