This is a hematite cylinder seal from the Achaemenid Empire which flourished from 550 to 330 BCE in the ancient Near East. It depicts two bulls that are very beautifully carved. It always amazes me how ancient peoples could carve such hard stone with such delicate detail.
Cylinder seals have been in use from at least 3,200 BC. They were used to identify ownership in much the same way that a signature does today. Rolling the seal on wet clay leaves the impression which conveys the identity of the seal's owner. So this seal was the personal property, and symbolic identity, of an individual person who lived a very long time ago. It's amazing that you can hold it in your hand in the present day.
Strung with modern red tiger eye, smoky quartz and oxidized silver beads. Length: 18 3/4"