Clay Stamps?

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by JDawg, Mar 20, 2021.

  1. JDawg

    JDawg New Member

  2. NewEngland

    NewEngland Well-Known Member

    What size? Anything marked on the back (a picture of the back might help)? Are they decorative tiles? One animal looks like a brahma bull, the other a rhino. That could give a clue as to where they're from. That script is unusual.
     
  3. JDawg

    JDawg New Member

    I do have a little info. These were stamps used by the old Indus civilization, maybe Ghandara or older. They're about an inch in size. I don't have anything to measure it at the moment but hope you get an idea with the cigarette. I wanted to get an idea of how much it could be worth. IMG-20210321-WA0007.jpg IMG-20210321-WA0006.jpg IMG-20210321-WA0006.jpg
     
  4. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    To determine potential value, you will need to determine if your items are genuine artifacts from the Harappan/Indus civilization, or not.

    The original seals were carved in stone (steatite), with the images in intaglio (recessed into the surface). On the back, there were loops so that the stamps could be suspended on a cord.

    upload_2021-3-21_17-2-25.jpeg
    https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1973.160#

    So it does not look like yours are actual seals/stamps. I can't determine the material from your photos, but there are no loops on the back, and the images appear to be in relief (raised from the surface), (although lighting can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish intaglio from relief in photographs).

    So your items might be impressions made from seals. Impressions would have originally been made in clay. Again, I can't tell what yours are made of, but they look to be in very good condition, which would suggest they are probably not ancient. More likely they are museum replicas, or even modern recreations.

    Without provenience (a documented history of an object's origin) it can be difficult to determine the authenticity of archeological artifacts.

    https://www.harappa.com/category/blog-subject/seals

    https://picclick.com/CLASSIC-INDUS-VALLEY-SEALS-3-Harappa-Mohenjo-Dara-2500-223060013271.html
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2021
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