Parthian Seals: A Review of Artistic Style and Functional Role

Mohamadifar, Yaghuob; Heydari, Yadolah; Dowlati, Maryam_

doi:10.22059/jis.2014.51700

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Associate Professor of Archaeology Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan

² Ph. D Candedet of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan

³ M. A. Archaeology University of Tehran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2014.51700

Abstract

Seals can help to identify the unknown aspects a culture. Parthian seals and bullaes not only have played an important role in business in the community, but also they are important to identify the art and culture of this period. Except a few reports about Parthian site and a few works that can be found in collections and museums little has been written with regard to the seals of this period. Therefore, the aim of the present study is the introduction of Parthian seals and Bullae, the designs carved on them and understanding their functional role. The results show that make a distinction between the bullaes and seals of Seleucid and those of Parthian periods is often difficult. Parthian seals are inspired by the traditions of Achaemenid, Greece, Central Asia animals and the local styles. Common motifs of the seals are human bust, winged mythical creatures, full-length human, horseman and deer.

Keywords

References

گیرشمن، رومن (1350). هنر ایران در دوران پارت و ساسانی، ترجمۀ بهرام فرهوشی، تهران، بنگاه ترجمه و نشر کتاب.

Bader, A, G, V & Koselenko, G.1990.New Evidence on Parthian Spheragistics Bullae from the Excavations of Gobekly – Depe in Margiana, Mesopotamia, XXV: 61-78.

Bivar, A. D. H.1967. A Parthian Amulet, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London,Vol .30, No. 3 : 512.

Bivar, A. D. H. 1982. Seal-Impressions of Parthian Qumis, by :British Institute of Persian Studies, Iran,Vol .20, No. 4 : 161-176.

Boardman, J. 1970. Greek Gem and Finger Ring: Early Bronze Age to Late Classical, London.

Boardman, J.1970. Pyramidal Stamp Seals in the Persian Empire, Iran, Vol. 8: 19-45.

Brentjes. 1989.Stempel - und Rollsiegel aus Baktrien und Chorasan, Bagbdader Mitteilungen, 20 : 315-335.

Brunner, C. J.1979. Sasanian Seals in the Moore Collection: Motive and Meaning in Some Popular Subjects, Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 14 : 33-50.

Colledge, M. A. R. 1977. Parthian Art, University of London.

Debevoise, N. C. 1934.The Essential Characteristics of Parthian and Sasanian Glyptic Art, Berytus I: 12-18.

Debevoise, N. C. 1938. Parthian Seals, In: A.U.Pope A Survey of Persian Art I, Axford, Vol.I : 471-74.

Doty, L.T. 1979. An Official Seal of the Seleucid Period, Jornal of Near Eeastern Studies,Vol .38, No. 3: 195 -197.

Frye, R.N. (ed).1973. Sasanian Remains from Kari Abu Nasr, Seals, Sealing and Coins, Cambridge Mass: 137-142.

Garrison, M. B. 1991. Seals and the Elite at Persepolis: Some Observations on Early Achaemenid Persian Art, Ars Orientalis, Vol . 21: 1-29.

Garrison, M. B and Root, C.M. 2001. Seal on the Persepolis Fortification Tablets Volume I, Image of the Heroic Encounter, Part I: Text, eds, Thomas A., Holland and Thomas G. Urban, The Oriental Institute of Chicago, Oriental Institute Publications Volume 117.

Gates, J. E. 2002. The Ethnicity Name Game: What Lies behind "Graeco-Persian"? , Ars Orientalis, Medes and Persians: Reflections on Elusive Empires, Vol . 32: 105-132.

Gibson, M.1994. Parthian Seal Style: A Contribution from Nippur, Mesopotamia XXIX: 89-105.

Gordon, C. H.1939. Western Asiatic Seals in the Walters Art Gallery, Iraq, Vol. 6, No. 1: 3-34.

Graziani, S. 1979. Ancient Near-Eastern Seals from the Nayeri Collection, East and West, Vol . 29, No. 1/4: 177-187.

Gubaev, A. Koselenko, G , Novikov, S .1990.Archaeological Exploration of the Merv Oasis, Mesopotamia XXV: 51- 60.

Henrickson, E. F.1988. Chalcolithic Seals and Sealings from She Gabi Central Western Iran, Iranica Antiqua, Vol. XXIII: 1-19.

Invernizzi. A.1968-69.Bullae from Seleucia, Mesopotamia 3-4: 69-124.

Invernizzi, A. 1976.Ten Years Research in the Al-madain Area, Seleucia and Ctesphon, Sumer, 32: 167-75.

King, C. W.1866. The handbook of Engraved Gems, London, Bell & Daldy, Oxford University.

Knudstad. 1968.A Preliminary Report on the 1966-67 Excavations at Nippur, Sumer No. 24:95-106.

Lambert, W. G. 1979. Near Eastern Seals in the Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art, University of Durham, Iraq, Vol . 41, No . 1: 1- 45.

Legrain, L.1925.The Culture of the Babylonians from their Seals in the Collection of the Museum University of Pennsylvania, The University Museum, Babylonian Section, 14, Philadelphia.

Lerner, J. A. 1976. Sasanian Seals in the Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities of the British Museum, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol . 35, No . 3: 183-187.

Martin, R. A.1940. Ancient Seals of the Near East, Anthropology Leaflet, No. 34, Ancient Seals of the Near East: 1-4.

Masson, M. E. and Pugachenkova, G.A. 1954, Impressions of Parthian Seals from Nisa, VDI: 159 - 169.

M dowell, R. H.1935.Stamped and Inscribed Objects from Seleucia on the Tigris, Ann Arbor.

Meek, T. J. 1944. Ancient Oriental Seals in the Redpath Library, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 93: 2-13.

Messina, V. 2007. A Multi-Level Approach to the Study of the Seal Impressions, Iran & the Caucasus, Vol. 11, No . 2: 195-200.

Millard, A. R. 1978. The Assyrian Royal Seal: An Addendum, Iraq, Vol. 40, No. 1: 70.

Minns, E. H. 1915. Parchments of the Parthian Period from Avroman in Kurdistan, Journal of Hellenic Studies, 35, 22- 64.

Mitchell, T.C. and Searight, A . 2008. Catalogue of the Western Asiatic Seals in the British Museum, Stamp Seal III, Impressions of Stamp Seals on Cuneiform Tablets, Clay Bullae, and Jar Handles, Published in Collaboration with the Trustees of the British Museum, Leiden, Boston.

Mordtmann, A. 1864. Studien iiber Geschnittene Steine mit Pehlevi-Inschriften, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandisvhen Gesellschaft, XVII,1-52.

Negahban, E. O. 1977. The Seals of Marlik Tepe, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol . 36, No . 2: 81-102.

Osten, V. der. H. H. 1925. The Musem Collection of Oriental Seal – Stone, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin,Vol .20, No. 3:80-82.

Osten, V. d. H. H.1931. The Ancient Seals from the Near East in the Metropolitan Museum: Old and Middle Persian Seals, The Art Bulletin,Vol .13, No. 2:.221-241.

Parker, B.1955. Excavations at Nimrud, 1949-1953: Seals and Seal Impressions, Iraq, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 93-125.

Parker, B. 1962. Seals and Seal Impressions from the Nimrud Excavations, 1955-58, Iraq, Vol 24, No 1: 26-40.

Provasi, E. A.1975. Seals with Pahlavi Inscriptions from the Nayeri Collection: I, East and West, Vol . 25, No .3/4, : 427-433.

Rankin, J. M. M. 1959. Ancient near Eastern Seals in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, Vol. 21, No . 1 (Spring, 1959) : 20-37.

Robinson, D. M. 1949. The Robinson Collection of Greek Gems, Seals, Rings, and Earrings, Hesperia Supplements, Vol . 8: 305-328.

Roseljakov, A.A.1955.Glinjanaja pechet iz sela izgant, Trudy ju Take. Asxabad 5:104-107.

Rostovtzeff, M. I. 1928.Syria and the East, The Cambridge Ancient History, Cambridge, Vol. 7:156-96.

Stern, E. 1971. Seal-Impressions in the Achaemenid Style in the Province of Judah, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 202: 6-16. - Torrey, Charles C., 1932. Pehlevi Seal Inscriptions from Yale Collections, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol .52, No. 3: 201-207.

Vermeule, C. 1970. Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman Gems: A Recent Gift to the Collections, Boston Museum Bulletin, Vol. 68, No. 353: 197-214.

Wallenfels, R. 1994. Uruk: Hellenistic Seal Impressions in the Yale Babylonian Collection I. Cuneiform Tablets. Ausgrabungen in Uruk-Warka Endberichte 19 (Mainz am Rhein: Verlag Philipp von Zabern).

Wallenfels, R. 1998. Seleucid Archival Texts in the Harvard Semitic Museum,T.Abusch, M. J. Celler, Th. P. J.Von Der Hout, S. M. Maul and F. A. M. Wiggermann (eds), Text Editions and Catalogue Raisonné of the Seal Impressions. Cuneiform Monographs 12 (Groningen: Styx Publications).

Waterman, L. 1931. Preliminary Report upon the Excavation at Tel Umar, Iraq, Nos, 19, 21:5.

Williams, M. F. 1928. The Collection of Western Asiatic Seals in the Haskell Oriental Museum, American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures,Vol .44. No. 4: 232-253.

Zettler, R. L. 1979. On the Chronological Range of Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid Seals, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol . 38, No. 4: 257-270.

Iranian Studies

Parthian Seals: A Review of Artistic Style and Functional Role

References

References

Volume 3, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
September 2014
Pages 93-112

Parthian Seals: A Review of Artistic Style and Functional Role

References

References

Volume 3, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2September 2014Pages 93-112

Volume 3, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
September 2014
Pages 93-112