A Published Neo-Assyrian Hematite Cylinder Seal, ca. 8th Century BCE

An exceptional Neo-Assyrian cylinder seal masterfully carved from fine black hematite depicting a richly symbolic ritual scene.  The primary figure is a bearded male, likely a priest, royal figure, or one identified in recent scholarship as an utukku—a powerful protective or ancestral spirit that embodies the ancestral king.  He stands facing right, grasping a mace (symbol of authority or ritual power) in his left hand, which is raised in a formal gesture.  There is a stylized bull's head in the field positioned below the elbow.  He wears a tiered, fringed garment, and his hair is arranged in a domed coiffure with a distinct bun at the back and a band across the forehead; traits consistent with Neo-Assyrian royal priests or protective spirits (utukku).   Two small kneeling winged figures, possibly genies or apkallu, flank the base of his robe in mirrored poses. Flanking this figure are two rampant griffins, their bird-like heads with crested combs, rounded eyes, and large wings extendi