An Urartian bovine seal amulet

Red stone
Urartu, East Turkey, 8th/7th century BC
H. 1.5cm; L. 2.1cm

Delicately carved in a hard red stone, this amulet in the shape of a reclining cow once served as a seal, with an engraved winged beast on the base. It is pierced and can be worn strung on a necklace or cord. Uratru was an Iron Age kingdom by the Lake Van in the Armenian highlands. The Urartian people were the earliest ancestors of the modern Armenians. A kingdom that rose to power in the 9th century BC and was eventually taken by the Iranians in the 6th century BC

Condition: Left ear slightly chipped

Provenance: Ex. collection of Dr. U. O., Zurich, acquired in the 1950s.

Item reference: NE0373