About an Unpublished Assyrian Cylinder Seal (MMA 1999.325.90)

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Abstract

Assyrian seal MMA 1999.325.90 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art has never been the subject of study previously. As can be established from its photograph, published by H. Pittman in an online course on the history of Mesopotamian art, the seal dates back to the Middle Assyrian period and contains a unique two-register composition, which represents the triumph of the Assyrian king over Kassite Babylonia. Iconographic details and parallels allow us to date it to the 13th century BC, and historical considerations and comparison with royal inscriptions prompt a correlation with the capture of Babylon by Tukulti-Ninurta I. The seal is a valuable source for the study of the Middle Assyrian army, as well as the art of this period.

About the authors

Alexander A. Nemirovsky

Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences; National Research University “Higher School of Economics”

ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8023-8817
Russian Federation, Moscow

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