Iranian - Cylinder Seal with Heroes Surrounded by Hunters and Animals - Walters 42445 - Profile Impression

After defeating Babylonia in 539 BC, the Achaemenid dynasty considered itself heir to Mesopotamian traditions, including the use of cylinder seals. In a square, four crowned busts of the king or possibly the god Ahura Mazda form a pinwheel. Animal scenes surround the panel: a kneeling archer shooting at a hare, a human-headed bird before an altar, a figure standing on a bull spearing a rearing lion, and two rearing goats entwining their necks.