Creator: Unknown (People of the Harappan Civilization)
Period: Mature Harappan
Date: ca. 2600–1900 B.C.
Geography: Indus Valley
Culture: Indus
Medium: Burnt steatite
Dimensions: 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 3/8 in. (3.8 x 3.8 x 1 cm)
Classification: Stone-Stamp Seals-Inscribed
Credit Line: Dodge Fund, 1949
Provenance: Acquired by the Museum in 1949, purchased from Sir John Marshall, Guildford, Surrey.
Accession Number: 49.40.1
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URL/References: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/324062
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Description:
Within this Stamp Seal and Impression from the Harappan Civilization, we see what appears to be a unicorn depicted standing before an altar or incense burner. Typically stamp seals in the Indus River Valley Civilization featured pictographs and various animals relating to one’s ownership of the animal, specific trade routes, or even possession of certain crops and resources. In some cases, the animals carved onto the seal were associated with the higher celestial realm full of deities. The seals were sacred and served a religious purpose as well as practical mercantile and trade utilization. This seal in particular consists of striking details. For instance, the unicorn which is standing showing its side profile features a blanket in the form of “an upside down carved heart” on its chest. Could it be a marking signifying ownership or branding? Could it also be a religious symbol? Above the animal, in the upper portion of the seal are written symbols. It is unclear what they stand for but it one appears to resemble a tree, grain, and possibly a weapon. They could be resources meant to be utilized as a means of survival. The animal could also be a resource of food and necessity while it could also represent a god of greater existence or the peoples of the Indus River Valley as a whole.
By Isabella Di Scipio
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