Stamp seal: standing noble holding a flower

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This oval seal stone is finely carved with the full-length image of a male figure of high rank; whether a prince or a nobleman is not clear, however, since it lacks an inscription. Singular full-length figures are rare on Sasanian seals. This one turns to look at a plant or blossom, simply drawn, held up in his right hand. He holds the hilt of his sword with the other hand. Two dots on the chest may indicate clasps for a cloak, though none is shown. His stance and dress are like those seen on male figures in early Sasanian rock reliefs. Sasanian seals are often made of semiprecious stones and royal ones are large in scale.

Ancient Near Eastern Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art cares for approximately 7,000 works ranging in date from the eighth millennium B.C. through the centuries just beyond the emergence of Islam in the seventh century A.D. Objects in the collection were created by people in the area that today comprises Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean coast, Yemen, and Central Asia. From the art of some of the world's first cities to that of great empires, the department's holdings illustrate the beauty and craftsmanship as well as the profound interconnections, cultural and religious diversity, and lasting legacies that characterize the ancient art of this vast region.

Metropolitan Museum of Art