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Amygdaloid seal with a bird
Modern
Modern
modern
Medium/Technique
Chalcedony
Dimensions
2 x 1.4 x 0.7 cm (13/16 x 9/16 x 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Beulah H. Emmet
Accession Number1971.168
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsSeals
DescriptionBlue chalcedony (crisscrossed with lighter inclusions in the back). Amygdaloid seal; pierced vertically. Upright bird twisting its head to right with tail splayed at the bottom and legs extending to left. Flanked by hatched designs on both sides. Deep, smooth engraving in a linear style done with a drill. Round drill used for the head. Damaged in the center of the bird’s body.
ProvenanceBy 1928: Mrs. Beulah H. Emmet Collection (one of a group of gems [MFA 1971.159-.176] acquired on Crete from Mr. Kephalogiannis in 1928, according to M. H. Wiencke, AJA 73 [1969], p. 33); gift of Mrs. Beulah H. Emmet to MFA, April 14, 1971