Western Asiatic Cylinder Seal with Worshipping Scenes

Western Asiatic Cylinder Seal with Worshipping Scenes
Mid 3rd millennium BC
An old Iranian lapis lazuli cylinder seal which shows two registers, but not divided by a line; in each of them a squatting deity is surrounded by female squatting or kneeling adorants, some of them with offerings; in the upper scene, a goddess facing right appears capped with a pair of bovine horns, with wings protruding from her shoulders, wearing only a herringbone skirt; the hands of the angled bangled arms are joined in front of her stomach; on the left behind her is a kneeling adorer wearing a headscarf, its long ends knotted at the back of the head stick out, a large cup as a gift in the hand, in front of the knees an ostrich egg as another gift; of the women on the right facing the goddess the first one with the same headscarf and also kneeling holds an ostrich egg in her right hand; the second, crouching behind her, raises her left hand for worshipping; between the goddess and the front woman is a small altar; in the lower scene, a god crouching as well is characterised as vegetation god by five plant stems, which grow out of his shoulders, neck and head; behind him a squatting woman raising the right arm to worship; a big mug over the hand; in front on the right of the god a kneeling woman, behind her a squatting deity, indicated by the horn cap. 10.9 grams, 34mm (1 1/2"). Fine condition.
Provenance
From the private collection of a North West London lady; previously with a central London gallery; formerly acquired before 1990.
Literature
For another cylinder seal with the same two deities side by side, from Tepe Jahjā, Iran, level IVB, c. 2500 BC, Tehran, Muzeh-e Iran-e Bastan, see Orthmann, W. Der Alte Orient. Propyläen Kunstgeschichte, vol. 14, Berlin, 1975, fig.283c, p.381a (text); cf. ibd. fig. 283b (cyl. seal with vegetation goddess); fig.d (cyl. seal with two winged and horned deities); for other vegetation deities on cylinder seals cf. Parrot, A. Sumer und Akkad, München, 1983 (4th ed.), p.212, fig.203; Boehmer, R.M. Die Entwicklung der Glyptik während der Akkad-Zeit, Berlin, 1965, pl.XLV-XLVIII (Old Akkadian, c. 2340-2200 BC); Ward, W.H. SCWA, Washington, 1910, p.132-137 (chapter XIX: Deities of agriculture); for winged deities cf. Collon, D. The Seal Impressions from Tell Atchana/Alalakh, AOAT 27, Neukirchen-Vluyn, 1975, pl.XX (1720-1650 and 15th century BC).