Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum 9781407314877, 9781407344454

Table of contents :
Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Foreword
1. Introduction
2. The Early Administrative System of the Ancient Near East
3. Administrative Centralization in the Sasanian Bureaucratic Structure
4. Sasanian Seals and Clay Sealings
5. The Persian Gulf Clay Sealing Collection in the Bandar Abbas Museum
6. The Iconographic Analysis of the Sealings
7. Chronological Remarks
8. The Catalogue
9. References

Citation preview

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum Kamal Aldin Niknami Sona Naderi

SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS IN THE BANDAR ABBAS MUSEUM

Sona Naderi is a doctoral student in archaeology of ancient Iran at the University of Tehran, Iran. She specialises in the visual cultures of the Sasanian Empire, with a strong emphasis on political iconography. She is interested in all aspects of Iranian medieval archaeology, both theoretical and practical. Her PhD thesis on the Sasanian administrative system is now in progress.

NIKNAMI & NADERI

Kamal Aldin Niknami is Professor of Methodology of Archaeology at the University of Tehran. His research interests are focused on the Iranian landscape, economy and society during early and late antiquity, and involve field work in the north and northwestern provinces of the country. His main interests have always been in seals and clay sealings from sites throughout the Iranian great empires and the transition from the Achaemenids to Parthians and Sasanians.

2016

________

BAR S2819

This book presents the newly discovered assemblage of 800 Sasanian clay sealings which is now kept in the Persian Gulf Museum of Bandar Abbas, Iran. In 2012, this collection was confiscated in Bandar Khamir, Hormozgan Province when in transit from Iran to UAE, and was delivered to the Hormozgan Center of Cultural Heritage Organization. Unfortunately the provenance of the collection is still unknown, but in comparison with the large Sasanian archives of Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr and Taxt- ῑ Soleymān, which comprise 505 and 241 clay sealings, respectively, such a large number of clay sealings is remarkable. The book introduces this new and hitherto unpublished archive of Sasanian clay sealings and we hope that the archive in question will expand our knowledge of Sasanian economic systems.

BAR International Series 2819 B A R

2016

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum Kamal Aldin Niknami Sona Naderi

BAR International Series 2819 2016

Published in 2016 by BAR Publishing, Oxford BAR International Series 2819 Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum © Kamal Aldin Niknami and Sona Naderi 2016 Cover image Motifs of Sasanian clay sealings from the Bandar Abbas collection. The Authors’ moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in  any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher.

ISBN 9781407314877 paperback ISBN 9781407344454 e-format DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9781407314877 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

BAR titles are available from:

Email Phone Fa x

BAR Publishing 122 Banbury Rd, Oxford, ox2 7bp, uk [email protected] +4 4 (0)1865 310431 +4 4 (0)1865 316916 www.barpublishing.com

Contents

Foreword

v

1

Introduction

1

2

The Early Administrative System of the Ancient Near East

2

3

Administrative Centralization in the Sasanian Bureaucratic Structure

5

4

Sasanian Seals and Clay Sealings

7

4.1 Sasanian Seals

7

4.2 Sasanian Clay Sealings Based on the Archaeological Evidence and Historical Texts

7

4.3 Well-known Sasanian Clay Sealing Collections

8

4.4 Administrative and Personal Seals in the Sasanian Period

9

5

The Persian Gulf Clay Sealing Collection in the Bandar Abbas Museum

11

5.1 Classification and Analysis of the Persian Gulf Clay Sealing Collection

11

6

The Iconographic Analysis of the Sealings

15

7

Chronological Remarks

18

8

The Catalogue

19

9

References

171

iii

Foreword

In 2012, a collection of cultural materials consisting of 800 Sasanian Clay Sealings were confiscated in the Persian Gulf port of Bandar-Khamir in Hormozgan Province. Unfortunately, the sea routes in the vicinity of Hormozgan are uncontrolled, which enables mass systematic looting of cultural materials which are then sold on the neighbouring black markets.

as a source of information for all those around the world who are interested in the ancient culture and civilization of Iran. Abbas Nowrouzi General Director Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization Hormozgan

In recent decades, sigillography has made important contributions to the study of administrative procedures and the ways archives functioned in ancient societies and empires. Sealing was a kind of guarantee ensuring authorisation, authenticity and identity in the context of socio-economic transactions. The use seals and clay sealings has a long historical tradition in Iran, spanning the fifth millennium B.C. through to the historical period, though their function presumably varied according to the different periods and contexts. Some scholars argue that as clay sealings provide evidence of an ancient organisation and system whose structure is not tangible to the modern scholar, the archaeological aspect of this unique category of evidence is remarkable. Studying seals and clay sealings reveals the function and evolution of an administrative technology with its required accessories and related rules that have gradually developed within a bureaucratic and more organised framework, leading to the emergence of bureaucratic institutions in the Sasanian society. For the study of clay sealings of the Bandar Abbas collection, we prepared a master plan to study the most important characteristics of these objects, mainly concerning their chronological contexts, their provenance and their iconographical aspects, which was done by comparing them with the previously similarly explored and sometimes published data. To gain the best results from our studies, we have benefited from collaborations with many colleagues and scholars. At first, a basic study was undertaken by Mrs Shirin Aghili, whose valuable work is currently in progress. One part of the study, which is now published in this volume, resulted from the collaboration of two researchers, K.A. Niknami and S. Naderi, from the Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran. We hope that in the near future we will be able to present the other parts of our research achievements

v

1 Introduction

Documenting seal impressions is of great importance in the archaeological research of the Sasanian period. Stamp seals and their impressions, known as bullae in the administrative context, are important objects in understanding the economic and administrative history, trade and intercultural relations of the society, providing a wealth of information, including ownership, identity, quantity and quality control, accuracy, and the different levels of the hierarchy of the society.

This volume could not have happened without the contributions of many individuals and organizations. We would like to express our thanks to Mr Abbas Nourozi, for his invaluable assistance as the general director of the Hormozgan Province Cultural Heritage Organization. Our special thanks go to our colleagues Mr S. Sarlak and Mrs S. Aghili from the Iranian Centre for Archaeological Research, for their kindly collaborations. Enormous thanks go to Dr L. Makvandi and S. Allion, who reviewed the entire book and caught many potential errors, and made excellent suggestions for improvements.

The study of the function of seals and sealing has played a major role in the reconstruction of administrative practices from the 5th millennium BC to the post-Sasanian period. In the Sasanian era use of seals expanded and became more formalized with the growth of the Sasanian bureaucracy. Sasanian seals and bullae help to identify aspects of social, economic, cultural and even religious structures of this period. Most of our information on seals is from seal impressions, which were used in very different contexts – both administrative and private – in Sasanian society. The Sasanian seals and bullae have not been studied extensively so far. There are a large number of bullae collections in both museums and private collections, including bullae from archaeological excavations of Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr, Taxt- ῑ Soleymān, Ak-Tepe in Turkmenistan and Dwin from Armenia, but the provenance of the majority of them (such as the Ahmad Saeedi collection) is still unknown. This publication presents the Sassanian clay sealings which are now kept in the Persian Gulf museum of Bandar Abbas, comprising some 800 sealings. In 2012, this collection was seized in Hormozgan province wheil leaving Iran for the UAE, and was delivered to the Hormozgan centre of the Cultural Heritage Organization. Unfortunately the provenances of the collection, and the sites where they artefacts discovered, remain unknown, but in comparison to the large archives of Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr and Taxt- ῑ Soleymān, which have 505 and 241 clay sealings, respectively, such a great number of clay sealing objects should offer researchers a great opportunity to study Sassanian art and archaeology. We expect that the introduction of this collection will throw new light on the sigillography of the Sasanians in particular, and expand our knowledge of the Sasanian era in general.

1

2 The Early Administrative System of the Ancient Near East

As a protective strategy and a way of administrative control and management, the use of seals and clay sealings in Iran has a long history, spanning from the 5th millennium BC to the post-Sasanian period, though their function presumably varied according to the different periods and contexts. Researchers argue that, as clay sealings provide evidence of an ancient organizational system, the tangible structure of which is not available to the modern scholars, the archaeological aspect of this unique category of evidence carries immense importance. Studying this group of cultural materials reveals an uninterrupted evolution of the administrative procedures within an organized framework which resulted in the emergence of bureaucratic institutions in historical societies.

The nature and function of seals in a sealing-based control system is contextual and fluid. Since clay sealings were in use for about five millennia in the various cultures of the ancient Near East, it would be an oversimplification to ascribe the administrative function of a single period to all of them (as noted in Pittman 1997: 133). Sealing jars, bags and bales by stamp seals had been a common practice since the late Neolithic period. In order to understand the specific function of seals, one must focus on the site evidence and contextualize the use of seals within the wider material culture. The early use of seals and sealing practices may not necessarily reflect exchange but, rather, might have served to restrict access to certain rooms and commodities to enhance security. Frangipane draws attention to them as identity markers for individuals or groups, to be used in property control or household management on any scale (Frangipane 2007:159). Since archaeological finds of the earlier phases of their use were recovered from residential areas rather than from monumental or central buildings, one may argue that sealings initially pertained to a type of social differentiation, in that they not only indicated personal or shared properties, but also restricted access to them.

The role of these objects is often considered as a progressive development of functional solutions to administrative problems of a sedentary agricultural lifestyle. Tokens, small clay counters of many shapes, were the earliest archaic accounting devices, with each shape representing a symbolized number of particular types of goods that, when used as sealing, secured a record of those goods in exchange transactions. As a next step, such tokens were incorporated into clay envelopes named bullae, being either impressed or incised onto the surface of the bullae. It is clear, therefore, that, prior to the development of writing, there was already a system in use for managing and controlling economic affairs. Schmandt-Besserat (1996, 2009) postulated that these particular geometric shapes became the basis of numerical tablets and ultimately the proto-cuneiform writing system.

Clay sealings excavated at Tall-i Bakun provide some of the best available evidence for studying the administrative management system in the final phases of prehistory in Iran. Here the sealings were attached to portable containers and the doors of the storerooms wherein they were found. What makes them particularly important in reconstructing administrative management is that they were fired after they had been broken. This firing was not accidental, for they were not found in pits but lay on room floors, and no traces of conflagration were recorded in the buildings containing them. Since these sealed clay fragments are baked and were excavated in groups rather than as isolated finds, they appear to have been archived in some way (Alizadeh 1988).

The following various innovations in the archaic recording system in the Near East are regarded as a response to the pressure of economic developments such as the expansion of craft production, the increase in local and long-distance trade, and the substantial increase in population and in the number of settlements that gave rise to organizational and political structures in the new city states and led to the emergence of writing. The development of script is undoubtedly a key step in the centralization of economic power, and the introduction of the cylinder seal coincided with this process. Seals played an important role in helping to establish and legitimize administrative and economic structures in these new city states. (For a detailed overview on the background of sealing in the Near East, see Dittman 1986; Nissen 1993; Frangipane 1994; Pittman 1994; Postgate 2005; Algaze 2008.)

Ferioli and Fiandra emphasize that the administrative function of clay sealings must have been strictly related to “distribution” storerooms, whereby goods were controlled and registered at the time of their storing and redistribution. They draw a distinction between the sealing procedures before and after the advent of writing. Before writing, a clay sealing bearing the impression of the object and of the seal was sufficient to identify a particular operation. Clay

2

The Early Administrative System of the Ancient Near East sealings on both door locks and containers belong to this system. In fact, clay sealings, once removed from the object, were kept until the end of the administrative period. Then, after the necessary controls and final bookkeeping, they were discarded in such a way that they could not be reused. After the adoption of writing, clay sealings had the same appearance and value, but were combined with a written document describing the operational process. This is an intermediate phase between the first use of clay sealings on containers and their later employment on documents, and was particularly evident during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. Written tablets, by stating information such as type and quantity of goods, and the names of the receivers and responsible officers, simplified the distribution system. These documents had a different legal role and function than clay sealings. They were secondary, not original, documents, unlike the clay sealings, which has directly indicated the opening of containers; written documents only describe this operation and are then preserved in neat files (Ferioli and Fiandra 1994).

and, especially, sealings and seal protocols played key roles. It belongs to the branch of regional administration that organized and controlled the intake, storage and notably the redistribution of locally produced food commodities within the Persepolis economy. The Treasury Archive deals with (partial) payments in silver in lieu of, or in addition to, payments in kind, often to specialized craftsmen. As such, it represents a different branch of administration and a different archive. A group of 198 clay sealings were recovered by Schmidt from the Treasury Archive. Schmidt recorded them in his excavation reports as clay labels. About sixty sealed bullae and clay tags were also found in the so-called Mountain Fortification. Some of these have two string holes and sometimes bear string impressions on their reverse. They are similar to some of the bullae in the Arsama correspondence from Egypt. The archaeological context of these sealings and the associated tablets suggests that they belonged to the same administrative and archival system, and they are another witness to the standardization of the bureaucratic protocol and document format (Garrison and Root, 2001: 34; Henkelman 2013).

In the new socio-economic structures mentioned above, administrative sealings, which are part of the bureaucratic control, should be evidenced by clusters of sealings in central buildings, and mostly located in small rooms, following set patterns which are often repetitive (Ferioli and Fiandra 1994; Fiandra 1981; Frangipane 2007). Such an administration involves a hierarchy of control, which is applied through complementary specialization to information processing activities in the form of observation, summarizing, message carrying, data storing and decision making (Wright and Johnson 1975).

This administrative system of sealing practices was applied in the contemporaneous archives in different satrapies of the Achaemenid Empire. The administrative center at Daskyleion has yielded a number of clay bullae (Kaptan 2002) in the same protocol, the Achaemenid archival texts in Babylon, such as the Murasu Archive, consisting of 800 inscribed tablets, and the Kasr Archive, with 950 tablets (Stopler 1985), are among the administration archives from the Achaemenid period. It is remarkable that a hierarchical system in sealing practice is observable in these documents. The legal texts from the Egibi Archive in Babylon reveal that the highest-ranking participant, most often a judge, put his seal at the top of the left margin of the document (Wunsch 2000: 560).

Interestingly, contemporaneous sites at Susa, Sialk, Maliyan, Yahya and Godin V, with similar administrative material cultures, share comparable details in their architectural remains.

Similar artifacts from the Seleucid and Parthian deposits suggest the continuity of this administrative system and the use of related objects in these periods. This system of sealing practice was applied on economic and legal texts and contracts, and was still in use on cuneiform documents long after the reign of Alexander. The latest cuneiform document up to now that has been found to have been sealed in this way is a legal text from Uruk dated 108 BC (Kessler 1984).

In the historical context, the Achaemenid period may have hitherto been a turning point in political, economic and administrative organization. The administration of such a vast empire required highly advanced mechanisms to guarantee social, economic and civic stability. The Achaemenids sought to centralize authority through bureaucratization, cultivating and exploiting new sources of manpower and wealth. To this end, the Empire was divided into several administrative divisions, known as satrapies, with various administrative provinces (Briant 1997).

The Archive of Seleucia on the Tigris provided a very extensive collection of sealings (about 25,255 sealings) inside a huge building that was found to have been almost completely destroyed by a vast fire (Invernizzi 1968). The sealings were found close to niches that, as shown by the remains of burnt wood and nails around the sealings, held wooden shelves that were used for filing the documents. They relate to a single administrative building and can be dated to the same point of time. They thus offer a precious source of documentation on the production of the craft workshops of one of the major centers of Hellenistic Asia.

Managing this huge and varied empire demanded a particularly dynamic fiscal system to keep the accounts and audit them on a regular basis. Administrative details of the Empire are reflected in the documents discovering from the Persepolis Fortification and Treasury Archives. They may have been part of a larger administrative sector. The Fortification Archive is a single ancient artifact in a bureaucratic and archival system in which tablet formats

3

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum This archive belonged mainly to a department which levied a tax on salt trading, and the dates range from 256 to 153 BC (Messina 2006, 417–430). Parthian administration was highly decentralized, and consisted of a variety of local rulers nominally under the authority of the Parthian Great King/King of Kings. Local rulers maintained independent courts, with their own administrative officials, while city-states seem to have administered their own affairs along Hellenistic or earlier Near Eastern models (Lukonin 1983). Notable clay sealings archive from the Parthian period have been discovered in Nisa, bearing impressions of different seals, witnessing the presence of several officers in the citadel. The excavations also delivered thousands of ostraka with inscriptions regarding a huge amount of transactions of goods, especially wine (Mollo 2001). The best known repository of Parthian clay sealings, albeit quantitatively small, is that from Shahr-i Qumis, probably the site of ancient Hekatompolis. When a stamped sealing displays the impressions of several seals, this is evidence that the transaction involved several parties. Sometimes the participation of a registrar, principals and witnesses can be detected. Such transactions might be marriages, sales of land or the manumission of slaves. Less formal transactions might be of interest only to the participants. In these examples, though each bulla may bear more than one impression (and in several cases the impressions are quite numerous), no one sealing bears the marks of more than a single seal. The functional significance of this situation is quite evident: for each transaction, only one person was responsible – that is, the supplier (Bivar 1982: 162). Since, in studying the evolution of administrative systems, we must consider the relationship of these systems and their accessories to the other social structures, the next section will discuss the changes and the factors that led to the creation of the Sasanian bureaucratic system, which was rooted in earlier administrative traditions and has accumulated over three millennia of literate civilization.

4

3 Administrative Centralization in the Sasanian Bureaucratic Structure items. In line with the geographical divisions, the Sasanian administration adopted an institutional structure wherein each administrative office was governed by a high-ranking official. These officials were involved in the administrative aspects of the Empire based on their functional area and had their own administrative seals (Labbaf 1999: 30).

According to the late Sasanian narrative, the Karnamāg i Ardašīr i Pāpākān, at the time of Ardašīr I there were two hundred and forty princes or local rulers in the land of Iran (Yarshater 1983). The decentralized Empire inherited from the Parthians faced many challenges, but was gradually replaced with a more bureaucratic, hierarchical imperial structure that constituted the Sasanian bureaucratic administration. From 224 AD to 651 AD, the Sasanian territory encompassed many of the countries of the Middle East, Central Asia and large portions of the Caucasus Mountains. Because of its location, the Sasanian Empire was a crossroads for trade between East and West, and acted as an economic intermediary. As their empire expanded, the diversity of population centers, on the one hand, and military confrontations with the East and West, on the other hand, pushed the Sasanians into a defensive position (for a historical overview, see Schippmann 1990; Wiesehöfer 1994; Daryaee 2009).

In terms of economic affairs, numismatics provides evidence for increasing bureaucratization and administrative centralization in the Sasanian Empire. The centralized state brought about a standardization of weights and minting of coinage by striking of the mint-marks on the reverse of coins in the course of time, together with the year in which they were struck, which was under the direct control of the imperial administration (Göbl 1971; Alram 2003; Daryaee 2009: 145). In cultural terms, literary texts were written about legislation, and the rules of administrative institutions contained political and administrative etymologies implying the existence of a centralized system which was strongly supported by the courts and priests. Such a bureaucratic system in the Sasanian ranked society was generally under the three classes of authority – military officials, priests and courtiers – which enabled them to exert their sovereignty over the whole of the Sasanian Empire (Shaki 1992).

In fact, the dynamic monetized economy, trading via the Silk Road and the Persian Gulf, controlled urbanizations, the massive capital investment in the construction of dams, roads and canals, agriculture intensification, investment in irrigation systems, land reclamation, and particularly the migration of villagers to cities and the development of the large planned metropolises (Wenke 1981), were all accomplished on the back of a highly efficient bureaucracy. Thus, administrative centralization within the bureaucratic organization was a necessary precondition for the effective exploitation of the vast potential wealth of the region (Morony 1982).

In the 5th century AD, the Sasanian Empire was faced with an economic and political crisis as a result of drought, famine, the Mazdakite movement, the extreme influence of the aristocracy and wars, which had resulted in it giving huge sums of tribute to the Hephthalites in the reign of Piruz I. The government responded to this in the form of reforms, initiated by Kavad I and Husraw I, who attempted to revise economic structures by establishing a new financial system in the Empire; by the survey of agricultural lands and the reorganization of the tax system, weakening the great aristocrat landlords and replacing them with a new class, called dehgāns, who were small landholding citizens (these dehgāns also served as tax collectors for the monarchy); and the reorganization of the army, dividing the whole military division of the Empire into four military and administrative districts called kust under the rule of four generals (spāhbeds). Offices with new functions and new seals were established to oversee the fiscal and political apparatus of the territory. The issuance of the office of the “protector of the poor and judge” (drῑ yōšān jādaggōw ud dādwar), with its administrative seal to help the poor,

Moreover, the close connection between religion and law caused the creation of a powerful religious-political administrative structure. Zoroastrianism was the only state religion of the Sasanians, and this ideology was at the base of the legal system, thus both state officials and religious authorities were engaged in the administration organization (Daryaee 2009: 148). According to Giddens (1998: 689), as societies become more complicated, the different spheres of social life start to become clearly distinct from each other. This transformation caused changes in the social, economic and legal structures of Sasanian society, and made it possible for new positions and offices to be established. The reflection of this administrative complexity in the Sasanian Empire is recognizable in its material culture, such as its architecture, coinage, and seals and clay sealings as administrative

5

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum and perhaps also those of provincial āmārgar and district maguh, may also be linked to these developments (Rubin 1995; Gyselen 1997, 2001; Daryaee 2009).

6

4 Sasanian Seals and Clay Sealings

4.1 Sasanian Seals

like a pendant or ring. Generally, though, administrative seals are a dome shape.

Much attention has been given to the study of glyptic evidence in recent decades. Seals and sealings were administrative tools that functioned in both archival and archaeological contexts. A large number of Sasanian seals have survived, though only a small number of them were discovered through archaeological excavations.

Sasanian seals also convey information on the prestige and financial status of their owner, based on the material used for making them. Furthermore, the existence of stylistic variants suggests that seals with a highly elaborate cut or a larger size were reserved for wealthy groups of owners and smaller, simpler ones were indicative of a lower social status (for a detailed overview on Sasanian seals, see Borisov and Lukonin 1963; Bivar 1969; Brunner 1978; Gyselen 1995, 2007).

As the Sasanian bureaucratic system grew, the continuous practice of using seals for sealings in the sense of a guarantee for ensuring authorization, authenticity and identity became more prevalent, and became an important factor in economic and legal affairs. Sigillography provides some evidence of the elaboration of Sasanian administrative institutions. Every institution and official had their own seal, although the use of seals was not confined to these offices and there have been notable numbers of seals belonging to different individuals that may even have been used as personal amulets with no administrative association (Gyselen 1995: 21). Moreover, because seals served in place of signatures, merchants needed them to enter into contracts and to ship and receive merchandise. Although merchants are seldom mentioned in Sasanian society in the archaeological remains and textual resources, their activities were vital to the economic well-being of the Sasanian state (Lerner, 2009a: 655).

4.2 Sasanian Clay Sealings Based on the Archaeological Evidence and Historical Texts Archaeological evidence of the use of Sasanian seals shows that clay sealings were used in a wide range of contexts by both the administration and private individuals. In general, the actual use of sealings can be determined by examining their archaeological contexts, their physical shapes, which provides technical information through analysis of the size, surface and reverse side of the clay sealings, and historical texts. In regard to the contexts in which the clay sealings were used, different scholars have proposed different interpretations: for example, clay objects for sealing commodities or for sealing documents (Frye 1968; Huff 1987). Frye attributed most of the clay sealings, in particular the large ones with the impression of cords on the reverse side, to commodities and commercial items, and considered that only a few of the examples were document sealings (Frye 1968: 118). In his theory, commodities were labeled, probably for tax purposes, to authenticate their weight and quality, or to authorize trade transactions (Frye 1974: 274). By analyzing the appearance of the clay sealings from Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr, Harper also describes some as related to commodity sealings and others as attached to documents (Harper 1973: 43). Göbl discards the commodity sealing theory, arguing that clay sealings were exclusively used to seal documents. He reasons that, technically speaking, clay sealings were not at all suitable for long-distance transportation in their unbaked form, as they were applied without any protection (Göbl 1976).

Sasanian seals have been analyzed in terms of style, shape, material, inscription and iconography. Although there are comparable factors in these aspects of different seals, since they were products of different workshops with different engraver skills, a variety of distinctions in the composition and epigraphs of the seals exist. Sometimes a particular sign of a different religious group, such as the cross of Christianity, was assimilated in these stylistic elements. Moreover, there are rare cases of so-called foreign seals (Gyselen 2007: 18) that show no commonly used styles and which are, in some cases, inscribed in Syrian, Hebrew or Greek. Sasanian seals are commonly carved from precious stones, such as garnet and amethyst, or semi-precious stones, such as quartz, agate, jasper, cornelian and silicate stones. Seals vary in shape. Most have a hemispherical or ellipsoid shape, or a square, rectangular or lozenge shape, which are engraved as flat, convex or concave gems that take the form of a bead or, in some cases, are mounted in settings

New evidence, like the Pahlavi documents of California University at Berkeley and the documents found in Bactria, cast new light on the questions raised by the earlier studies

7

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum on the nature and function of Sasanian clay sealings. Since most of the clay sealings of the Berkeley archive are found intact on the manuscripts, they provide important clues for the study of unattached clay sealings of other collections. Berkeley’s Pahlavi archive contains 390 clay sealings as well as 260 manuscripts written on parchment and silks dating back to 651–776 AD. These textual records appear to have been economic texts. The Berkeley documents proved that this sealing method was still in used in the post-Sasanian period (Azarpay 2003). Moreover, the Bactrian documents from northern Afghanistan reveal administrative practices similar to those which were used in Iran between the 4th and 8th centuries AD. They consist of legal and economic texts, as well as letters. Some of the documents still have their original sealings that bear the impressions of the contractors’, witnesses’ and seals’ scriber. One of these manuscripts is about a land contract which, according to the date recorded on it, dates back to 517 AD, when the Hephthalites occupied the area. The significance of this document is that it is executed in duplicate. The lower version is unfolded but the upper one was rolled up tightly to make a scroll shape and then sealed with five clay sealings. Probably the second copy could be opened in the presence of the proper authority and used if there were disagreements or infractions demanding adjudication (Sims Williams 2008: 95).

can be divided into two major categories, legal texts and economic texts, the latter consisting of receipts, inventories, audits and the like. In contrast, legal texts usually record contractual relations in which both parties agree to do or not do a particular thing. In addition, the validation of land contract documents and tax transactions was accomplished under the same rules and preserved in private archives, in temple archives or in large public archives. Mâdayân î hazâr dâdestân mentions these archives, such as the one placed in the fire temple of Xurram Ardašῑr village in Ardašῑr – Xwarrah (MHD, 78, 11–14). 4.3 Well-known Sasanian Clay Sealing Collections In trying to understand the functions of Sasanian seals and clay sealings, looking into their archaeological context and their distribution patterns will give us a better understanding of the nature of this category of culture material. Many of the seals and clay sealings in museums and private collections have been plundered and most lack clear archeological provenance. The important collections that come from an unmistakable stratigraphic context are the archives from Taxt- ῑ Soleymān and Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr in Iran, Ak-Tepe in Turkmenistan and Dvin in Armenia. Limited comparable sealings were also recovered from the excavations at Bandian-e Dargaz, Bishapur and Tepe Kabudan in Gorgan, with over sixty clay sealings from French excavations at Susa.

Apart from the archaeological evidence, there have been a number of Middle Persian texts dealing with administrative affairs and concerning the different aspects of the economic and legal documents. A number of formalities and conventions of Sasanian notarial practices are given in the Sasanian law book Mādayān ῑ hazār dādestān (Macuch 1981).The definition of document in this book shows the relationship between written text (document) and seal impression (clay sealing/bullae), implying that those documents that were not signed and sealed legally would remain invalid unless verification was made by this procedure. Usually the contract documents were prepared in several copies and each was retained by a beneficiary party. In the following centuries of the Sasanian Empire, the sealing of documents (nibišt ud āwišt) and consequently the recording of the contracts in the notary offices became more prevalent, especially for immovable property (Brunner 1983).

These collections might offer a great opportunity for research, as their find spots and the depositional contexts in which the sealings were found reveal the main stages of use of these objects, and possibly the function and chronology of the relevant buildings. Similarities between these collections derived from contemporaneous deposits over a wide geographical are witness the prevalence of this protocol in the administrative context and the private sector of the Sasanian community. The sealings collection from Taxt- ῑ Soleymān was recovered between 1963 and 1964 by the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut from a room (Room Z) next to the entrance of the fire temple, beneath its stone paved floor in a 20-cm-thick stratum consisting of clay and burnt remains from a conflagration. Thus, the excavators attributed the clay sealings to the archive of a fire temple which was destroyed by a fire that baked the sealings. These sealings have been dated to the late Sasanian period based on their archaeological context and associated objects. This collection comprises 250 pieces, with more than 1200 impressions made by 800 different seals, with some bearing over forty imprints. The impressions tend to belong to personal seals, such as those of the magi, and only five administrative seals have been identified among them, which were repeated on different clay sealings (Göbl 1976).

In the notary offices, a transcript and record of the contract was first prepared and sealed, and a copy of the sealed document was kept in an archive (dīwān). The contract should then be approved by the respected judges with the title dādwar, otherwise the contract could be violated (Macuch, 1981: 188). It could be assumed that this legal action for the archiving of documents was performed in every center and was controlled by the high-ranked Zoroastrian priests, the rad and mowbed (Daryaee 2009). Frye (1973: 50) demonstrated a number of seals which were used for the same purposes by such officials in the Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr archive. Sealed texts in most archives

Excavations at the Sasanian site of Bandian-e Dargaz in northern Khorasan, about 20 km from the Turkmenistan border, uncovered a series of structures scattered over

8

Sasanian Seals and Clay Sealings an area of about 4 hectares. Based on the inscriptions discovered at the site, Dargaz formed a political unit together with Marv. The first excavated exposure in Bandian included a Sasanian fire temple wherein seven baked clay sealings were discovered from a 36.5 × 29.5 m room adjacent to the fire temple’s entrance – a find spot similar to that of in Taxt- ῑ Soleymān – which led to the columned hall. In the published reports, this room (Room B) is described as the place where offerings and consignments were stored (Rahbar 2008).

A similar repertoire is available from the Armenian city Dvin. After the fall of the Arsacid kingdom, Dvin became the capital of Persian Armenia, from which the marzbān ruled. It was the seat of the Sasanian administration and the repository of the state archives (dīvān), which presumably comprised the official records of all the “provinces” of the districts of Armenia. Recent excavations at the site of Dvin have identified the premises where the archives were kept. Among the unearthed objects are remnants of tapes used for tying parchments together and over 100 clay sealings of civil and ecclesiastical functionaries, which give ample evidence of Persarmenia’s close links with the rest of the Sasanian Empire (Kettenhofen 1996).

The site Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr lies on the routes that connected the southern cities of Fars to northern and western regions such as Stakhr and Bishapur. This Sasanian settlement yielded 505 clay sealings, of which 334 pieces are housed at the Iranian National Museum, with the rest currently residing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. They were discovered from two rectangular rooms. The excavators labeled these rooms as an archival room divided by a partition wall. The floor was covered with a layer of ash, which most probably resulted from the terminal destruction phase of this fortress. The clay sealings are dated to the late Sasanian and early Islamic period, in light of the other small finds, such as coinage. In one room the clay sealings were found stacked up, but in the other they were scattered over the floor (Frye 1973).

Taking the Taxt- ῑ Soleymān complex as a model and as one of the three major fire temples of the Sasanian Empire, it is possible to say that in such complexes royal residences and administrative units were incorporated and the fire temples in each province and district had their own archives and notary offices. The Mādayān ῑ hazār dādestān describes the treasury of the fire temple as hēriātaxš (MHD 34, 1), the office for the bureaucracy of the state, as well as the temple economy, and the size of the religious body in the Sasanian realm. 4.4 Administrative and Personal Seals in the Sasanian Period

Excavations carried out at Ak-Tepe in southern Turkmenistan between 1963 and 1978 recorded about 100 clay sealings from the upper levels of fortification. Comprising a total area of ca. 9000 sq m, the site consists of a series of buildings dating from the late Parthian to the late Sasanian period. The Sasanian coins discovered here span the reigns of Shapur I and Husraw II. Based on the limited number of publications available, at the center of the complex was a small structure dating to the sixth and seventh centuries, which was probably a Zoroastrian fire temple. Of the clay sealings excavated, only thirty-nine samples have survived. These are currently kept at the Turkmenistan Academy of Sciences in Ashgabat; short reports are also available on the rest of the assemblage. About fifty of these sealings were found together with the hoard of late sixth-century coins in a storage jar. There are eleven impressions of official seals in this collection, notable examples of which bear impressions made by official seals, including those belonging to the magi of the Serakhs and Apavart provinces, which obviously made up a single administrative unit in the late Sasanian period (Apavart is the modern Abivard, which lies in Turkmenistan), and the magi of Dahav (the province of Dehistan) (Nikitin 1996: 55). Several sealings belong to the Iranian Christian group according to the Christian themes found, such as the Nestorian (Maltese) cross – a subject that frequently appears on Sasanian Christian seals, due to the fact that northeastern Iran was a major center for Nestorians, who continued to follow their faith up to the early Islamic centuries.

Sasanian seals and sealings are classified into two categories: administrative and personal. We know that seals were also used for different functions and in different contexts in Babylonian Seleucia, where, based on the inscriptions on them, clay sealings found on leather or papyrus documents were impressed by administrative seals. Personal seals were commonly used on tablets. Thus administrative seals were exclusively used on official letters in a GrecoSeleucid fashion (Frye 1974: 272). Most Sasanian seals were personal, and were used by individuals with different social status in Sasanian society. Personal seals were generally represented by common Sasanian motifs; in some cases they bore inscriptions which indicate personal or family names, or sometimes represented wishing sentences (greetings or blessings containing words like health or prosperity). By contrast, more elaborate seals (and their impressions) featuring individual portraits, animals and other symbols, in combination with inscriptions, seem to have been in use throughout the Sasanian period. Thanks to the most important work of R. Gyselen on the rich clay sealings collection of Ahmad Saeedi, inscribed personal seals can be classified into two groups: personal seals of high-ranking officials, bearing the name of the owner along with their professional title and position; and personal seals of individuals who are introduced by name only (Gyselen 2007: 35). It is possible to assume that such

9

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum officials might have had personal seals for their private affairs along with their administrative seals.

In Taxt- ῑ Soleymān, five administrative seal impressions were repeatedly found on different clay sealings. They were identified as being used by the mowbed of Ᾱdūr- Gušnasp, the framādār of Ᾱdūr-Gušnasp, the šahrab of Ādūrbādgān, and driyošān ud jādaggōw ud dādwar from two places, Vehōvand and Veh- Ardašῑr (Göbl 1976; Huff 1987).

In contrast to personal seals, administrative seals only mentioned the title of the administration, without giving any names or representing any motifs. In Mādayān ῑ hazār dādestān the term “muhr î pad kār framān dāštān” refers to the seal of officials who have an executive power and rights for sealing purposes (Frye 1973: 47). Moreover, the official seals themselves were divided into two categories: first, seals of the provincial administration, which bear just the title of the administration along with its functional areas, including one or more place names – the term “province” here refers to the various sections of the Sasanian administrative geographical units. The second group comprises those of the central administration, citing just the administration titles without any place names. This sector might have functioned as a coordinator between the different provinces’ or cities’ financial, military and administrative organizations. In addition to the above relatively broad categorization, provincial seals could be further divided into two sub-groups on the basis of the department of the administration: seals representing titles pertained to clerical institutions, such as the seals of mowbed, dādwar and driyošān ud jādaggōw ud dādwar, and the others containing civil official positions such as spāhbed, šahrab, zarrbed and āmārgar (Gyselen 2007: 36; 1989: 114–119).

The private collection of Ahmad Saeedi hosts 450 clay sealings, about half of which are administrative seal impressions such as those sealed by a spāhbed or by highranking officials. This collection plays an important role in the reconstruction of the administrative structures and historical geography of the Sasanians (Gyselen 1989; 2007).

By the reforming policies of Kavad I and Husraw I, the country was divided into four regions, or kust. Each kust was under the control of a spāhbed, who had authority over the marzban, who administered the ōstān (Daryaee 2009: 124). It seems that the marzban mostly dealt with military affairs, while an ōstāndar was appointed to govern the administrative and political affairs of the ōstān. Besides these two officials, in each ōstān there was a religious authority, the mowbed, who supervised the legal apparatus. In addition, the khore was a Sassanian administrative division that was a sub-region of the kust. The center of the khore was called the šahr. Besides the political governor of the šahr, who was called a šahrab, the judicial authority of the khore was known as the dādwar. Based on Mādayān ῑ hazār dādestān, besides the dādwar, there has been another administrative official called the āmārgar, or accountant, who dealt with the financial aspects and taxes remits (Yarshater 1983; Labbaf 1999). From Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr were found eighteen so-called administrative sealings pertaining to the clerical department, including one seal impression of the Ardašῑr – Xwarrah mowbed and nine seal impressions of driyošān ud jādaggōw ud dādwar, the “advocate of judge and poor” (three of which are from Ardašῑr – Xwarrah, four impressions from Stakhr and two impressions from Bishapur). There are also seal impressions containing civil departments which included titles such as Ardašῑr – Xwarrah andarzbed and Bishapur šahrab (Frye 1973).

10

5 The Persian Gulf Clay Sealing Collection in the Bandar Abbas Museum The clay sealings of the Bandar Abbas Museum collection vary in size from 22 to 55 mm (at the greatest diameter). Except for the two clay sealings Nos (I/1) and (II E/369), all of them represent two or sometimes four small slots through which a perishable document was tied. They contain traces of textiles, parchments, cords, twisted cords or sometimes a crossed strap, and in some cases a wide band marked with grooves can be seen in the reverse side of the clay sealings (Fig. 1). In some sealings, the mark of textiles and parchments as well as fingerprints can be distinguished, particularly on their front sides, where the seal impressions were placed. In general, these clay sealings appear in many shapes. They take the form of a lump of clay with a flat back and a slightly concave or convex reverse. On this basis, we can distinguish the ways in which bullae were used. They are frequently found with traces of a crossed strap on the reverse side. Dietrich Huff explains that in such a form the object was tied with a cord crosswise; then the cord was tied around the object once more in one direction and the knot was fastened above the first crossing point. Holding the knot at a certain distance above the object, wet clay was then pressed on the crossing point and knots tying up rolled or folded documents or goods (Huff 1987: 381).

the clay sealings of this collection and those from the California University at Berkeley and Bactria collections, it may be possible to conclude that the clay sealings of this collection may have been used for the same purposes of documentation as the clay sealings of those other two collections were used. 5.1 Classification and Analysis of the Persian Gulf Clay Sealing Collection 5.1.1 Administrative Sealings According to the criteria used to classify the administrative seals mentioned above, five sealings of this collection are assigned to this category. Clay sealing No. (I/1), with one seal impression on it, belongs to the “Ᾱmārgar of Bāzāhā and Armin and Šahr ῑ Mugān and Kūst ῑ Ᾱdurbādagān”. A comparable example to this clay sealing has been reported by Gyselen from the Ahmad Saeedi collection, and is marked as (I/65). Clay sealings Nos (I/2) and (I/3) of the Bandar Abbas collection both bear the same imprint as the one in the Ahmad Saeedi collection (I/61) and have just one seal impression. They belong to the “Ᾱmārgar of Šahr -PādārPērōz and Armin”.

In terms of physical characteristics, all the clay sealings of this collection were baked and their colors ranged from buff and light brown to dark brown, red, grey and sometimes smoky. Their consistencies are diverse, from soft to rough, tempered by the mineral materials and, in a few cases, by straw. This feature is similar to other collections. Most of the smaller clay sealings bear a single seal impression, while the larger ones are impressed by more than three seals, and in some cases by as many as twelve seals. Sometimes identical seals are repeated several times in different clay sealings. The dimensions of the impressions of the seals themselves also vary from 5 to 30 mm at their greatest diameter, and are engraved as convex or flat gems or, in some cases, mounted in settings. Personal seals are more varied and take various shapes, such as dome, oval, square, rectangular and lozenge shape, and are mostly uninscribed. They probably are the impressions of the owners, witnesses or guarantors, but the aniconic administrative seals are usually dome shaped.

Clay sealing No. (I/5) has two impressions, one of which belongs to the “Ᾱmārgar of Ᾱdurbādagān”. This impression is also comparable with clay sealing (I/5) of the Ahmad Saeedi collection. Finally, clay sealing No. (I/4) has two impressions, the administrative one of which belongs to the “Ōstāndār of Wirōzān” according to the inscription on it. Thus, as these four administrative seal impressions indicate, three of them were used by the āmārgar office of the different areas and one of them owned by the ōstāndār office (Fig. 2). Since the place names of Armin and Bāzāhā in sealing No. (I/1) and Armin and Pādār-Pērōz in clay sealings Nos (I/2) and (I/3) are inscribed together, we can assume that both Bāzāhā and Pādār-Pērōz were somehow adjacent to Armin. According to the Shapur I inscription on the Naqš-i Rustam rock relief in Fars, Armin has been introduced as a region. A study of different seals and their historical texts shows that Armin cannot be assigned to the great Armenia. Another viewpoint identifies Armin as a regional name which was used by Sasanian Armenians to address the Ayrarat region where Dvin was the capital (Gyselen 2002: 133).

The sealings broken off commodities do not seem to have been kept systematically as records and receipts in the Sasanian era, since no such evidence had been found until now, and on the basis of the similarities that exist between

11

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

Fig. 1: Samples of clay sealings of the Persian Gulf collection.

12

The Persian Gulf Clay Sealing Collection in the Bandar Abbas Museum

Fig. 2: Drawings of the official seals in sealings from the Bandar Abbas collection.

According to the so-called Armenian Geography of Anania Širakacʿi, the Ōstān of Dvin extended as far as the canton of Ayrarat. As the capital and the economic and industrial center, Dvin became important in trade with Central Asia (Kettenhofen 1996).

Because of its vicinity to Armin, the geographical location of Pādār-Pērōz city may have been in an area in the northwestern territory of the Sasanians. Based on recent studies of its historical and geographical sources, together with some Armenian sources, it may be possible to locate

13

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum Pādār-Pērōz in an area of modern northwest Iran (Jam 2007: 85).

5.1.2 Personal Seals Like the majority of Sasanian seals and sealings known from other collections, most of the seals of the Bandar Abbas collection are private ones. The rich and varied iconographic motifs found in this class of seals reflect the cultural and religious traditions of Iran in Sasanian times.

In addition, the already mentioned sealing No. (I/4) of the Bandar Abbas collection belongs to the “Ōstāndār of Wirōzān”. On the other hand, in the Ahmad Saeedi collection, there are two sealings which bear the seal impression of the “Zarrbed of Armin and Wirōzān” No. (I/165), supporting the assumption that these two regions were both at the same frontier of the Sasanian territory and may slightly overlap.

These personal seal impressions can be divided into two subclasses of inscribed and uninscribed seals. The inscribed subclass is represented by 122 impressions. Unlike Greek and Roman seals, which regularly lack inscriptions, the more finely carved Sasanian seals are generally inscribed. The inscriptions give the individual’s name with or without their parentage, and occasionally contain a blessing formula (Brunner 1978: 143). The inscribed seal impressions in the collection under study here are further subdivided into those with (1) names, (2) blessing formulae, (3) abbreviations and (4) problematic, illegible inscriptions.

There are also a number of Sasanian clay sealings that have been impressed by identical seals, which Gyselen calls co-signatory seals. These secondary impressions allow us to assign further links among the institutions (Gyselen 2007:10). In the Bandar Abbas collection, apart from the administrative seals, there are 20 non-administrative impressions that resemble some of the seal impressions on administrative sealings in the Ahmad Saeedi collection which were impressed by the same seals. For example, the personal seal impression No. (II A/12a) of the Bandar Abbas collection is also attested on the administrative sealing No. (I/71) in the Ahmad Saeedi collection, which bears the official seal of the “Ᾱmārgar of Bāzāhā and Armin”. It is also found on another administrative sealing of Ahmad Saeedi collection, No. (I/165), which belongs to the “Zarrbed of Armin and Wirōzān”. In addition, there is also a personal seal impression, No. (II A/65a), on a clay sealing in the Bandar Abbas collection that also co-signed a sealing from the administration of the “Ᾱmārgar of Bāzāhā and Armin” in the Ahmad Saeedi collection, No. (I/69).

Seal impressions bearing proper names are usually associated with various motifs, such as monograms (nišan) or animal motifs, including names such as Ᾱdur-Gušnasp (IIA/17a), Mah-Gušnasp (II A/36a), Mihr-Gušnasp (II A/55), Chihr-Barzin (II A/13a), Gur-Atur (II A/12a) and Buran (II A/20a). Inscriptions with abbreviations include abbreviations such as MT, GW, AT and MO, which are also found in all the well-known collections, particularly those from Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr and Ahmad Saeedi collection. Other inscribed impressions include blessing formulae such as abzōn (prosperity), drōd (greetings), rāmešan, farrox (prosperous, blessed) and pērōz (victorious).

As mentioned above, some of the sealings in the Bandar Abbas collection bear imprints which have also been attested on the sealings from a civil administration in the Ahmad Saeedi collection. On the basis of the same cosignatory seals on the sealings of these two collections, it is possible to conclude and interesting to conjecture that all such sealings that have been used in the same context might be assigned to the same administrative environment. Thus, we can postulate that they pertain to the administrative units under the authorities which were in north west of the Empire, although it does not necessarily mean that the provenance of the present archive is located there. It seems that clay sealings of this collection belonged to the regional archive of territorial administrations whose functional areas partially overlapped, as reflected in their administrative sealing. The internal evidence, such as the physical similarities among sealings of the collection, as well as the presence of the same seals which were attested on different sealings, indicates that the sealings in this archive functioned within a contemporaneous context and with the same purposes for which they were archived.

14

6 The Iconographic Analysis of the Sealings

The motifs which attested on Sasanian seals often reproduce the imagery seen on the other material culture of that era, showing the uniformity on Sasanian iconography. The Sasanian sigillographic studies reveal that their seal engraving techniques and depictions were dictated by the same diagnostic styles that were repeated in various artistic media of that period. The iconographic repertoire of Sasanian seals has generally followed the standardization pattern of the Sasanian art styles, which to some extent were affected by the Sasanians’ centralized political and cultural ideology. The iconography of the seals is an efficient tool for determining significant concepts, such as royal propaganda, and sometimes the beliefs and religion of their owners through the choice of motifs that were used by different levels of the society. In this respect, Sasanian seals are a remarkable medium for the promulgation of royal iconography and ideology of the royal bureaucrats who oversaw their production (Shepherd 1983).

Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr clay sealings, or private collections such as the Ahmad Saeedi collection. They cover a wide range of iconographic motifs, which could be classified as: seals which are purely epigraphic; seals with abbreviated letters; seals with human or goddess figures; seals with human body part motifs, such as eyes, ears or hands; seals with animal or mythical animal motifs; seals with floral and geometric motifs; and seals with motifs of devices and symbols (nišan) (Fig. 3). The first category containing imagery, rendered on both inscribed and uninscribed seals, concerns human figures and deities. Human figures are shown alone or in compositions. Among these, clay sealing No. (II A/111), which displays two human busts, probably one male and one female, along with a Greek inscription, is interesting as no similar example has been published from any other collection to date. Clay sealing No. (II E/431) shows a female figure, in Hellenistic style, who is carrying a bird and a bunch of plants in her hands. In the other examples there have been action scenes representing combat between humans or between humans and animals. Based on the classification which Göbl suggested for the similar seals from Taxt- ῑ Soleymān (Göbl 1976, SK 15c), clay sealings Nos (II B/13b) and (II E/373) may be described as marriage seals, which are unreported from Qasr-ῑ Abu Nasr. Seal impression No. (II E/147a), based on the common classification of the Sasanian iconography, is a so-called Gayomard motif. Finally, there are 16 identical seal impressions depicting the goddess Nike (victory deity). Images of Nike are widely present in the Hellenistic period on gems and seals, as well as on coins. In the Taxtῑ Soleymān collection, Nike was represented on two seal impressions (Göbl 1976, Nos 60, 60a). Moreover, the seal impressions depicting Nike are generally small and have a slightly concave surface – a physical aspect of seals commonly used by individual persons.

It seems that there has been an association between the iconography of the seal and its owner’s social or political ranked status. In some cases, the iconography of the seal could have served to identify either the role of the seal owner or his professional status, because the use of some iconographic motifs of seals was reserved for a certain privileged class of nobility (Gyselen 2009: 165). Besides, the content of the seals carried a symbolic meaning or attested to the importance of the seal owners, thus they could be understandable by both literate and non-literate people. We must bear in mind that literacy was a privilege enjoyed by only a few people in the time of the Sasanians, so the Iranian people used motifs as they were easily understandable by everyone. The Sasanian glyptic iconographic repertoire, which comprised symbolic motifs, is significant from the ideological point of view. It was deeply rooted in Iranian mythology, and included representations of humans, animals and plants, and other motifs such as monograms or devices (for a detailed overview on the Sasanian glyptic iconography, see Debevoise 1934; Bivar 1969; Frye 1973; Göbl 1976; Gignoux 1980; Gyselen 1995a).

Human body parts, such as ears, are represented in the impressions of clay sealings Nos (II A/10) and (II A/68– 69), which belong to the same seal and bear inscriptions. A similar, though not identical, example is seen in the Taxt- ῑ Soleymān collection. Clay sealings Nos (II D/8), (II A/90), (II A/91) and (II A/113a) bear impressions of different styles of hand motifs which have partially problematic inscriptions. The hand motif is often shown with thumb and forefinger together and is occasionally embellished with ribbons or wings. It is generally explained as an auspicious gesture, expressive of greeting (Gyselen, 1993:4).

Like the other collections, most of the clay sealings in the Bandar Abbas collection represent the seal impressions of personal seals, as evidenced by their contents, such as iconography and occasionally inscriptions. These motifs find close parallels with the related objects from the other renowned collections, such as the Taxt- ῑ Soleymān and

15

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

Fig 3: The frequency of motifs on the clay sealing of the Bandar Abbas collection.

The second group consists of seal impressions with common kinds of animal iconography that display a wide range of compositions, with either mythical or nonmythical themes. They probably result from the depiction of royal or divine attributes, significant on the ideological and mythological level. Birds predominate among the animal motifs, and include peacock, duck, rooster, stork and pigeon, which in some cases are portrayed as holding the ring of royalty in their beak, or as two facing birds with the ring in between them, e.g. Nos (II E/239) and (II E/405), and may also be accompanied with an inscription or with the symbol of the moon or a star over a field. Many similar examples are found in the other collections (Frye 1973; Göbl 1976; Gyselen 2007). These animals acquired a religious significance.

The ram is another animal rendered in standing or couchant position, e.g. Nos (II A/24) and (II A/34). It is sometimes depicted with ribbons around the neck, and in some cases with an inscription or an abbreviation such as AT, e.g. No. (II C/3), or with the symbol of the moon or a star over a field. In most cases the inscriptions have been abraded, hampering their reading. In a Sasanian context, such ribbons are the prerogatives of royalty and divinity (Lerner 2009b), and the ram is one of the iconographic incarnations of xwarrah. Representations of a boar’s head, associated with the iconography of Verethragna, who guards the God-given glory (Pour Davoud 1968), account for a fairly large part of the motifs in this collection, e.g. Nos (II E/104) and (II E/111), and in one case, No. (II A/73a), is accompanied with an inscription. Göbl claimed that the motif was specific to priests (Göbl 1976).

The next most common category among the animal motifs is the lion. The lion is a symbol of nobility and power, and is also associated with royalty. They are represented in a variety of positions, and they are sometimes rendered in very finely detail. In some cases the animal is accompanied with a winged horse, e.g. Nos (II E/172) and (II E/174). There are several inscribed examples, in particular with a blessing term such as abzōn, “prosperity”, e.g Nos (II B/18) and (II B/40a), or with the ideogram GDH (xwarrah), “royal glory”, e.g. No. (II B/21a). The lion motif similarly abounds in the other collections, which it bears close resemblance to those in our collection despite some differences in the detailing.

Contrary to the other collections, humped and winged bulls are represented by only two examples, and the two related seal impressions are rather deteriorated by abrasion. The humped bull with an inscription, No. (II D/13), and the winged bull, No. (II E/424a), are both in the couchant position. The motif of a winged horse, No. (II B/17a), as a symbol of the god Tishtar (Tashtar Yasht, 9) with the ideogram GDH (xwarrah), “royal glory”, is notable.

16

The Iconographic Analysis of the Sealings The motifs of other animals, such as stag, elephant, camel, canines, scorpion, fish, rabbit, fox and bee, are also found among the seal impressions motifs. Bees are as yet unattested in the other collections.

The Persian Gulf collection contains a large numbers of these motifs, e.g. Nos (II A/13), (II A/23), (II B/10a), (II A/59a), (II E/285), (II E/278) and (II A/62), which are represented by 295 examples, excluding the crescent moon and sun symbols. Some of the devices are symmetric and stylized, and though characterizing the group, the symmetry is partial, e.g. Nos (II A/66a), (II E/296a) and (II A/71b). Some bear inscriptions. The impression on clay sealing No. (II A/3a), which appears on 28 different clay sealings, is the most represented in this group and in the whole sample. Of the symbols, the triskeles and swastika in No. (II E/296b) are interesting and are also found elsewhere, such as in the Taxt- ῑ Soleymān collection (No. 574) and the Ahmad Saeedi collection (60.2). The devices are often surrounded by circular or ovoid frames; square designs are rarely accompanied by seals with devices.

The other group concerns floral and geometric patterns. The tulip motif and triple blooms are found in abundance in the collection, related and identical examples of which exist also in other collection, such as that from Taxt- ῑ Soleymān (Göbl 1976, No. 535). The six petal flower with a parallel at Takht-e Soleymān (Göbl 1976, No. 540) also falls in this group, and clay sealing No. 790a finds an identical parallel at Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr (Frye 1973, D. 200). The last group consists of impressions, introduced here as the device and symbol group. The existence of similar signs is well known throughout the Iranian world, at least since the Achaemenid era. The Sasanian so-called monograms that often appear on seals and reliefs is the most popular subject of Sasanian glyptic studies, but agreement over their nature and meaning is still far from being reached. These symbols are likely distinctive marks, as they were constantly charged to convey privilege on media related with social and administrative structures, such as coins and seals (see Unvala 1953; Frye 1964; Manassero 2010). Such symbols are displayed on a number of archaeological findings, such as the crowns of kings and dignitaries, silver vessels, stucco plaques and seals, particularly in the late Sasanian period (Göbl 1973). Frye pointed out that these emblems and devices conveyed certain meanings for the seal owner and those who saw it. It is difficult to determine whether seals with particular emblems and devices belonged to a certain clan or only reflected the personal taste of their owners, or both (Frye 1973: 47). Frye divided the motifs of these seals into two categories: monograms and devices. The latter, in turn, is split into two subcategories: readable signs consisting of Pahlavi letters and stylized devices. Frye maintains that the monograms, consisting of two or three Pahlavi letters, presumably stand for proper names or blessing formulae (Frye 1973: 54). Regarding seals with monograms, de Menasce believes that the abbreviations corresponded to the names at the edge of the seal, and according to Gignoux these devices represented the initial or abbreviated form of the name (Gyselen 2007: 87). However, after extended analysis, Frye concluded that these devices might either be related to the inscription at the edge or simply represent some symbols (Frye 1973: 53). It is not always easy to read monograms, as we do not know the order in which the letters composing them have to be read; moreover, there is no agreement on how to interpret the information they bear. No doubt, analysis of these motifs and the drawing of any conclusions will require study of several more assemblages of this group of seals and their large-scale comparison.

17

7 Chronological Remarks

As primary sources, the Sasanian seals and clay sealings collections confirm the existence of some sort of registry in the highly legalistic Sasanian state and provide first-hand information to supplement the literary sources.

central concept of the rightful kingship, especially during the Sasanian period, it is surprising that it did not appear before this time on the artistic media (Daryaee 1997: 44); therefore, on the basis of these ideograms depicted on the Bandar Abbas clay sealings, we could possibly consider the clay sealings of this collection to be contemporaneous with the reign of Husraw II onward and the last centuries of the Sasanian empire.

So far, there are no defined standards for dating the Sasanian seals and clay sealings precisely; most researchers do not agree to rely solely on the seals’ shapes and forms for dating purposes, as suggested by Bivar (Bivar 1969), or even on the ground of palaeography, as proposed by Brunner (Brunner 1978); rather, the iconography and inscriptions should be considered equally (Gyselen 1993: 32). The only chronological information is that provided by textual sources. During the reigns of Kavad I and Husraw I, a number of new administrative bodies were established and were given seals which functioned in different districts, such as driyošān ud jādaggōw ud dādwar, āmārgar and ōstāndār (Daryaee 2009: 129; Gyselen 1997). Recent evidence found from Bactria has confirmed the authenticity of this claim. According to the dates recorded on them, these documents cover a time span of four centuries. In about 560 AD, Husraw I, in collaboration with the Turks, defeated the Hephthalites and reconquered the western parts of the Oxus. A clay sealing found in the Hindu Kush area, which was introduced by Gyselen, indicated the seal holder as the “Kadagistān ōstāndār”. On the basis of the Sasanian administrative system in the late 6th century, Kadagistān may have been an eastern province of the Sasanian Empire under the control of an ōstāndār for only a short period, while Bactrian documents from both earlier and later than the period of Husraw I refer to the ruler of this area simultaneously as šahrab or kadag-bid, the “Kadagistān governor” (Sims Williams 2008: 98; 2009). In Sasanian textual sources from the 3rd to 5th century AD, the governors of any province were introduced only by the title of šahrab, while in the later or post-Sasanian periods they were called ōstāndār (Gyselen, 2007: 41). Moreover, a comparative study on the resemblance existing between iconography and inscriptions of the Bandar Abbas clay sealings and those of the Qasr- ῑ Abu Nasr and Taxtῑ Soleymān collections enabled us to locate the Bandar Abbas clay sealings in the same chronological horizon, since clay sealings from both sites have been found in their archaeological contexts and dated to the final phases of the Sasanian period. Besides, the use of GDH (xwarrah) ideograms occurred for the first time on the coinage of Husraw II in 591 AD. Although xwarrah, “glory”, is the

18

8 The Catalogue

The classification of the catalogue of Sasanian clay sealings of the Bandar Abbas collection is based on the model established by Rika Gyselen for the classification of the Ahmad Saeedi collection. Each sealing is given two inventory numbers: a catalogue number and a serial number. The catalogue number commences with a Roman numeral, referring to the seal’s general classification. These are grouped according to the following order: I

Administrative sealings

II

Non-administrative sealings, including inscribed seals:

II A

Seals of named individuals

II B

Seals with a formula

II C

Seals with an abbreviation

II D

Seals with problematic or illegible inscriptions

II E

Non-inscribed seals

The serial number corresponds with the acquisition number that was given by the museum. The sealings are physically defined by their dimensions, weight, perforations and the appearance of the reverse side, along with the seal impressions on them. Their dimensions are indicated in millimeters and their weights in grams. Descriptions of administrative sealings are accompanied by a drawing showing the dimensions of the seals. The scale of the photographs is 1:1. Transliterations and transcriptions are given in the catalogue in Roman type. The following symbols are used in the readings of the inscriptions: […]

Reliable reconstruction

[…?]

Less relaiable reconstruction

(…)

Doubtful reading

{…}

Deletion

(?)

Uncertain interpretation

19

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

I. Administrative clay sealings

I/1. 44 × 38 ×17 mm. 28 gr.

1390-57

Brown. Bulla bearing one seal impression with no stringholes: a) Impression of a convex bezel,30 mm at its greatest diameter.

I/2. 38.5 × 35 ×13 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 421

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 20 mm at its greatest diameter.

I/3. 26 × 21.5 ×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390-786

Blue. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = I/2.

I/4. 40 × 36 ×15 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 480

Reddish brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 18 mm at its greatest diameter. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device?

I/5. 50 × 50 ×23 mm. 42 gr.

1390- 799

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 23 mm at its greatest diameter. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Couchant lion.

20

Catalogue

II A. Clay sealings with the named individuals

II A/1. 31 × 27 ×12 mm. 8 gr.

1390-40

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile, in the margin undetermined Pahlavi inscription. II A/2. 29 × 25.5 ×20 mm. 11 gr.

1390-41

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined Pahlavi inscription. II A/3. 32 × 30 ×20 mm. 16 gr.

1390-42

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8×8 mm. Device, in the margin Pahlavi inscriptions, from 11 to 8 and 2 to 4 o’clock: dʾt pylḥw / ʾpzwn “Dād Farrox/Abzōn”.

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal. II A/4. 32 × 30 ×15 mm. 15 gr.

1390-43

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. Pahlavi inscription, from 10 to 8 and from 4 to 2 o’clock: ʾtwrʾrt/hštr - Ᾱdur- Ardašir II A/5. 33 × 30 ×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390-150

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II A/4.

II A/6. 33.5 × 32 ×18 mm. 17 gr.

1390-45

Dark brown. On back, bulla was pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device = II A/3a. b) Impression of a lozenge- shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased. 21

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/7. 51 × 49 ×19 mm. 34 gr.

1390-46

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 24 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram? walking to right with diadem- ties at neck. In the field at 4 o’clock, crescent. Around from 12 o’clock, Pahlavi inscription: wndʾt bwlc mtr{…}- Windād- Burz- Mihr… II A/8. 30 × 22 ×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390-48

Reddish brown. On back, bulla was pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 4 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. II A/9. 28 × 27 ×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-101

Reddish brown. On back, bulla was pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression = II A/8a. b) Impression of a lozenge- shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased. II A/10. 27.5 × 24 ×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-50

Brown. On back, bulla was pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Ear with earring. In the margin from 4 to 8 o’clock Pahlavi inscription {… } gwšnsp / …Gušnasp II A/11. 28 × 25 ×14 mm. 5 gr.

1390-372

Brown. . On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/10. b) Illegible impression of convex bezel.

22

Catalogue

II A/12. 38 × 33 ×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390-54

Reddish brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: Bibl: Gyselen 2007, IVA/8.

a) Impression of a convex bezel,10.8 ×

b) Impression of a

9.7 mm. Pahlavi inscription:

lozenge-shaped bezel,

- in the field in double stroke: GW

3×5.5 mm, Symbol?

- in the margin, from 7 to 8 o’clock, plḥw gwlʾtwl Y(glpšk?) / Blessed, Gōr-Ᾱdur?… II A/13.

28.5 × 28 ×16 mm. 13 gr.

Reddish brown. Bulla pierced

1390-58

by two stringholes and bearing two seal

impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6.8 × 8 mm. Device. Around from 5 to 6 o’clock, Pahlavi inscription: ctlbwlc [yny] ZY{…}/Čihr Burzēn… b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel. II A/14. 35 × 34 ×14 mm. 14 gr. Reddish brown. Bulla pierced

1390-370 by two stringholes and bearing two seal

impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/13a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 3 o’clock six-pointed star and in the margin from 10 to 8 o’clock crescent Pahlavi inscription: ʾpzwn “ increase” II A/15. 28 × 27 ×11 mm. 7 gr.

1390-60

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 10 o’clock crescent. In the margin from 4 to 8 o’clock undetermined Pahlavi inscription.

23

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/16. 24 × 22 ×13 mm. 5 gr.

1390-61

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II A/2.

II A/17.

30 × 25 ×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390-79

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile .In the margin from 12 to 4 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: ʾtwl gušnasp / Ᾱdur- Gušnasp

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device, in the field at 2 o’clock eight – pointed star. II A/18.

32 × 27.5 ×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390-163

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression = II A/3a, II A/6a. b) Erased impression. II A/19. 31 × 30 ×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390-167

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device in double stroke, in the field at 3 o’clock crescent and at 9 o’clock six pointedstars, around Pahlavi inscription from 5 to 12 o’clock: {…} gwšnsp “…Gwšnasp”. II A/20.

28.5 × 28 ×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390-184

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in a border of pearls: bwlʾn / Bōrān b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter.

24

Catalogue

II A/21.

31 × 30 ×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390-192

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile. Undetermined Pahlavi inscription from 12 to 7 o’clock.

II A/22. 38 × 35 ×16 mm. 14 gr.

1390-196

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the field at 11 o’clock, crescent. Around from 2 to 5 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: gušnspdʾt Y{ …} : Gušnasp-dād ῑ …

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal? c) Impression of a rectangular seal. Illegible impression. II A/23. 25 × 20 ×11 mm. 4 gr.

1390-217

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped

b) Impression of a

bezel,

10

diameter.

mm

at

its

greatest

rectangular bezel, 6 mm at

Undetermined

Pahlavi

its greatest diameter. Device

inscription.

with crescent and sixpointed star.

II A/24.

23 × 22 ×8 mm. 3 gr.

1390-224

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram couchant to right with diadem ties at neck. Undetermined Pahlavi inscription from 1 to 9 o’clock.

25

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/25. 32 × 32 ×13 mm. 8 gr.

1390-225

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: WHW In the margin, undetermined Pahlavi inscription from 2 to 6 o’clock between crescent and eight -pointed stars.

II A/26. 32 × 28 ×13 mm. 9 gr.

1390-235

Dark brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II A/25.

II A/27. 39 × 38 ×15 mm. 17 gr.

1390-227

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 20 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. Around from 4 to 4 o’clock, Pahlavi inscription: {… } lwr? gušnasp lʾst ʾtwl{…} “Gušnasp - rāst - Ᾱdur”

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Cock to right with ring, around from 12 to 6 o’clock erased inscription.

II A/28. 39.5 × 38.5 ×14 mm. 19 gr.

1390-356

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/27a. b) Illegible impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter.

26

Catalogue

II A/29. 40 × 35 ×17 mm. 14 gr.

1390-228

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9.5× 9 mm. Cock in right profile with ring. Around from 1 to 5 o’clock, Pahlavi inscription: [mtrʾnʾ] twr gwšnsp “Mihrān-Ᾱdur-Gušnasp” Bibl.:Gyselen 2007, IVD/11a

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II A/30. 32 × 31 ×17 mm. 13 gr.

1390-261

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/29a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters SW in double stroke.

II A/31. 28 × 24.5 ×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390-264

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/29a, II A/30a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram walking to right before a flower. II A/32. 31 × 29 ×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390-230

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in one line: bwlcy “Burzy”.

II A/33. 30 × 27 ×18 mm. 12 gr.

1390-241

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring and crescent at 7 o’clock. Above undetermined Pahlavi inscription.

27

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/34. 31.5 × 27 ×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390-247

Reddish brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram crouching to right. In the margin from 12 to 8 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: mtr{…}/Mihr…

II A/35. 38 × 30 ×21 mm. 23 gr.

1390-265

Brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/34.

II A/36. 32 × 25.5 ×17 mm. 14 gr.

1390-248

Beige .On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7×7mm. Two lines with Pahlavi inscription : lynwy (or lyw Y)/ bwlʾnʾn “…son of Bōrān”. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7×7mm. Ram crouching to left. In the margin, from 2 to 6 o’clock, Pahlavi inscription: mʾh gwšnsp “Māh- Gušnasp” Bibl: Gyselen 2007, IVB/23.

II A/37. 32 × 30 ×15 mm. 14 gr.

1390-255

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. Around Pahlavi inscription from 1 to 10 o’clock: {…}gwšnsp “…Gwšnasp” b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Swastika c) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. II A/38. 32 × 30 ×15 mm. 14 gr.

1390-260

Dark brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6×6 mm. Turkey in right profile. Pahlavi inscription from 12 to 9 o’clock : bwht “Bōxt”

28

Catalogue

II A/39. 29 × 25 ×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390-274

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel,15×14mm. Ram walking to right with diadem- ties at neck and ring with three pearls on breast. In the field at 5 o’clock, six- pointed stars and at 3 o’clock, crescent. In the margin, from 1 to 7 o’clock, Pahlavi inscription: kwʾt Y{…} “Kawād…” Bibl.:Gyselen 2007, IVB/22

b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined motif.

II A/40. 30.5 × 27 ×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390-284

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/18a.

II A/41.

24 × 24 ×12 mm. 7 gr.

1390-297

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel =

II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in double stroke. In the field at 12 o’clock six pointed star and at 6 o’clock, crescent. II A/42. 32 × 28.5 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390-317

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird?

29

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/43. 32 × 28×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390-358

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device? II A/44. 31 × 27×13 mm. 8 gr.

1390-369

Beige-brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. II A/45. 32 × 29×12 mm. 9 gr.

1390-376

Grey, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird to right. II A/46. 35 × 32×25 mm. 16 gr.

1390-396

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

30

Catalogue

II A/47. 35 × 30×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390-404

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II A/48. 29.5 × 24×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390-424

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription with eight pointed star: {…} zān? c) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird II A/49. 31 × 28×14 mm. 9 gr

1390-437

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. II A/50. 33 × 32×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390-444

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters? II A/51. 32 × 28×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-448

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Figure in left profile in a border of pearls. 31

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/52. 29 × 28×9 mm. 8 gr.

1390-452

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. II A/53. 30 × 29×10 mm. 10 gr.

1390-454

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. II A/54. 28 × 20×12 mm. 5 gr.

1390-460

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a. b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. II A/55. 31 × 29 ×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390-294

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field device In the field from 4 to 4 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: mtr gwšnsp ʾtwl ʾpzwn “Mihr-Gušnasp-Ᾱdur increase”.

32

Catalogue

II A/56. 31 × 30 ×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390-322

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/55.

II A/57. 32 × 28 ×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390-492

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/55, II A/56.

II A/58. 38 × 37 ×18 mm. 15 gr.

1390-323

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8.5×10mm. Device. Around from 11 to 1 o’clock, Pahlavi inscription: …dwht ZY yzdkrtʾn “ …daughter of Yazdgird” Bibl.:Gyselen 2007, IVB/24

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element.

II A/59. 32 × 30.5 ×9 mm. 8 gr.

1390-341

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 14 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. Around from 4 to 1 o’clock illegible Pahlavi inscription and from 11 to 10 Pahlavi inscription: {…}/ʾtwr “Ᾱdur” . II A/60. 32 × 31 ×14 mm. 11 gr.

1390-365

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/59.

II A/61. 29 × 28 ×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390-693

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel= II A/59, II A/60.

33

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/62. 32 × 28 ×8 mm. 8 gr.

1390-343

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 9 o’clock six-pointed star. Around from 4 to 12 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: hwš dʼt “Xuš-Dād”. II A/63. 30 × 29 ×11 mm. 5 gr.

1390-441

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/62.

II A/64. 42 × 41 ×15 mm. 26 gr.

1390-345

Dark brown, partly blackened. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel within a flat mount with a knob at 12 o’clock, 9.8× 12 mm. Device. In the field at 3 o’clock crescent and at 9 o’clock sixpointed stars. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6× 7.5 mm. Device. Around Pahlavi inscription, from 10 to 8 o’clock and from 1 to 2 o’clock: gwšnsp / ʾtwr “Gušnasp / Ᾱdur”

Bibl.:Gyselen 2007, IVD/33

II A/65. 36 × 35 ×16 mm. 14 gr.

1390-364

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field Pahlavi letters MW with eight- pointed star. In the margin undetermined Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile in a border of pearls. II A/66. 37 × 34 ×17 mm. 20 gr.

1390-380

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing five seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 × 11 mm. Device in double stroke, in the field at 3 o’clock crescent and at 9 o’clock six pointedstar, around Pahlavi inscription from 5 o’clock: …/nwʾt . b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 11 o’clock crescent and at 2 o’clock eight-pointed stars. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. d) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Fish. e) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined motif.

34

Catalogue

II A/67 = II A/14

30 × 25 ×12 mm. 9 gr.

1390-411

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/13a, II A/14a b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 4 o’clock six-pointed star and in the margin from 10 to 8 o’clock, crescent and Pahlavi inscription: ʾpzwn “increase”. II A/68. 31 × 28 ×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390-425

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile and above, Pahlavi inscription. c) Impression of a convex seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile and above, Pahlavi inscription. II A/69. 31 × 28 ×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390-433

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/10, II A/11.

II A/70. 32 × 28 ×18 mm. 10 gr.

1390-474

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/10, II A/11, II A/69. b) Impression of a convex seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible Pahlavi inscription.

35

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/71. 48 × 43 ×17 mm. 28 gr.

1390-469

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing eight seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined Pahlavi inscription in two lines. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. c) Impression of a convex seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head. d) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. e) Impression of a convex seal, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent with eight- pointed star. The others are illegible.

II A/72. 25 × 24 ×15 mm. 6 gr.

1390-476

Beige. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and six-pointed stars. Around from 6 to 10 o’ clock undetermined Pahlavi inscription. II A/73. 41 × 40 ×16 mm. 23 gr.

1390-485

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼs head in right profile. Around from 2 to 9 oʼ clock Pahlavi inscription: bwlcmtr “Burz-Mihr”. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. c) Erased impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. II A/74. 24 × 23 ×12 mm. 4 gr.

1390-514

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/36a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower upon leaves? c) Erased impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Dog walking to right.

36

Catalogue

II A/75. 30 × 25×8 mm. 6 gr.

1390-526

Grey, blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. II A/76. 35 × 32.5×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390-539

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Cross? II A/77. 38 × 32×20 mm. 15 gr.

1390-601

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Three flowers upon a pair of leaves. II A/78. 32 × 30×18 mm. 6 gr.

1390-614

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Antelope.

37

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/79. 34× 30×16 mm. 14 gr.

1390-633

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a, II A/78a b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. II A/80. 30 × 29×17 mm. 8 gr.

1390-638

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a, II A/78a, II A/79a. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. II A/81. 32 × 30 ×10 mm. 12 gr.

1390-529

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II A/65a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird? c) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in a circle? II A/82. 52 × 52 ×25 mm. 63 gr.

1390-534

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II A/65a, II A/81a. b) Erased impression.

38

Catalogue

II A/83.

32 × 28 ×16 mm. 12 gr.

1390-532

Brown, partly blackened On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II A/33. II A/84.

25 × 24×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390-549

Dark brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II A/25, II A/26. II A/85. 31 × 30×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390-665

Dark brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II A/25, II A/26, II A/84. II A/86. 32 × 28 ×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390-558

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/62, II A/63.

II A/87. 24 × 25 ×15 mm. 5 gr.

1390-567

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/19, II A/66a.

II A/88. 36.5 × 32 ×20 mm. 5 gr.

1390-602

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing seven seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/64b. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. Around from 4 to 2 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: ātwr “ Ᾱdur”.

c) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible Pahlavi inscription.

d) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device? e) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird to right.

f) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. g) Impression of a rectangular seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal to right.

39

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/89. 38 × 34.5 ×16 mm. 14 gr.

1390-608

Blackened brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II A/2, II A/16.

II A/90. 40 × 28 ×11 mm. 11 gr.

1390-624

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel,9 mm at its greatest diameter. Hand within a pair of diadem bands. Around Pahlavi inscription from 4 to 8 o’ clock. b) Erased impression. II A/91. 42 × 32 ×17 mm. 17 gr.

1390-714

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel,9 mm at its greatest diameter. Hand.

II A/92. 32 × 31 ×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390-642

Reddish brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel,8 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription: bwlc… “Burz…” b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in

right profile. II A/93. 22 × 22 ×10 mm. 5 gr.

1390-657

Dark grey. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/19.

40

Catalogue

II A/94. 29 × 25 ×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390-702

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. At 10 oʼ clock six-pointed star and Pahlavi inscription from 12 to 10 oʼ clock: (ʾtwr Y) : Ᾱdur?

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II A/95. 30 × 29×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-703

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a, II A/78a, II A/79a, II A/80a. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird to right. II A/96. 33 × 31×14 mm. 11 gr.

1390-715

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a, II A/78a, II A/79a, II A/80a, II A/95a b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. II A/97 (a). 35 × 32×7 mm. 8 gr.

1390-721

Grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Fragmentary bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a, II A/78a, II A/79a, II A/80a, II A/95a, II A/96a.

41

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/97 (b). 31 × 26.5×10 mm. 10 gr.

1390-729

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Fragmentary Bullae bearing two seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a, II A/78a, II A/79a, II A/80a, II A/95a, II A/96a, II A/97. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. II A/98. 30 × 28 ×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390-720

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Elephant walking to right. A round undetermined Pahlavi inscription from 12 to 9 o’clock. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Camel walking to right. II A/99. 23 × 21.5 ×7 mm. 10 gr.

1390-724

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/55, II A/56, II A/57.

II A/100. 24 × 22 ×10 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 726

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II A/2, II A/16, II A/89.

II A/101. 38 × 32 ×9 mm. 16 gr.

1390-731

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/29a, II A/30a, II A/31a. b) Impression of a convex bezel. 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters HW in double stroke. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

42

Catalogue

II A/102. 55 × 45 ×9 mm. 25 gr.

1390-732

Grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Fragmentary Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/12a. b) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/12b. c) Fragmentary impression. II A/103. 30 × 28 ×7 mm. 10 gr.

1390-733

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Fragmentary bulla bearing three seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel .10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head. b) Impression of a rectangular seal .13 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible Pahlavi inscription. II A/104. 32 × 28 ×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390-734

Dark brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/62, II A/63, II A/86. II A/105. 29× 28.5×16 mm. 7 gr.

1390-745

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird with crescent at 12 oʼ clock. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter.

Pahlavi inscription with crescent and star. II A/106. 30 × 28.5×15 mm. 8 gr

1390-746

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Fragmentary bulla bearing two seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a, II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a, II A/78a, II A/79a, II A/80a, II A/95a, II A/96a, II A/97a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription on two lines: ʾzʾt /…

c) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. 43

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II A/107. 29 × 29× 16 mm. 9 gr

1390-751

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Fragmentary bulla bearing two seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/3a, II A/6a, II A/16a, II A/40, II A/41a, II A/42a, II A/43a, II A/44a, II A/45a, II A/46a, II A/47a, II A/48a, II A/49a,II A/50a, II A/51a, II A/52a, II A/53a, II A/54a, II A/75a, II A/76a, II A/77a, II A/78a, II A/79a, II A/80a, II A/95a, II A/96a, II A/97a, II A/106a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. II A/108. 37 × 36.5 ×10 mm. 18 gr.

1390-765

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/19, II A/66a, II A/87. b) Impression of a convex bezel: II A/38. c) Impression = II C/53, II C/63, IIC/64. d) Impression = II E/458, IIE/495. II A/109. 32 × 28 ×18 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 772

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/10, II A/11, II A/69, II A/70. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field crescent and six-pointed stars.

II A/110. 30 × 25 ×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 781

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. In the margin undetermined Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter.

44

Catalogue

II A/111. 30 × 29 ×11 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 782

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Two figures next to each other with flower between them an inscription in Greek.

II A/112. 48 × 44 ×11 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 791

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing ten seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription with two stars in the field: b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Two figures facing each other. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram before flower. d) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. The others are illegible. II A/113. 55 × 51 ×18 mm. 41 gr.

1390- 792

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel. 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Hand. Around undetermined Pahlavi inscription b) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. d) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

45

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II B. Clay sealings with a formula

II B/1. 28 × 28 ×16 mm. 8 gr.

1390-47

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: ŠRM.drōd / peace.

II B/2.

32.5 × 31.5 ×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390-49

Grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: ŠRM.drōd/peace. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased.

II B/3. 32 × 31 ×15 mm. 15 gr.

1390-51

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/1. b) Illegible impression.

II B/4. 29 × 28 ×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-78

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription

in

double

stroke

in

a

border

of

pearls:

ŠRM.drōd/peace

b) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/47a.

II B/5. 29 × 24.5 ×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390-125

Dark grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription

from

1

to

10

o’clock:

ʾpzwn

/

Abzōn:

increase

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Device and at 11 o ʼ clock, crescent.

46

Catalogue

II B/6. 32 × 31 ×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390-168

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the margin Pahlavi inscription from 12 to 10 o’clock: ʾpzwn / Abzōn “increase”. II B/7. 29 × 24 ×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390-209

Beige. On back, bulla pieced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression = II B/6 b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II B/8. 38× 37×16 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 208

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the margin Pahlavi inscription from 12 to 11 o’clock: ʾpzwn / Abzōn “increase”.

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Head of ram upon a winged base, c) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined motif.

II B/9. 29 × 23 ×11 mm. 5 gr.

1390-214

Reddish brown. On back, bulla pieced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the margin Pahlavi inscription at 12 o’clock pl at 6 o’clock hw : plhw/farrox “ blessed”.

47

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II B/10. 32.5 × 30 ×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390-218

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10×11mm. Device. In the margin from 2 to 4 (clockwise) and from 10 to 8 o’clock (vice versa), Pahlavi inscription: ʾpzwn / pylwc “Increase/victorious”. II B/11. 31 × 29 ×13 mm. 11 gr.

1390-252

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/10. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II B/12. 32 × 28 ×7 mm. 7 gr.

1390-348

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/10, II B/11a.

II B/13. 28 × 27 ×10 mm. 6 gr.

1390-362

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/10, II B/11a, II B/12. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Two figures facing each other.

II B/14. 44 × 41 ×15 mm. 17 gr.

1390-231

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. Around from 12 to 11’clock Pahlavi inscription: ʾpzwn “increase”.

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower?

48

Catalogue

II B/15. 32 × 31 ×14 mm. 11 gr.

1390-257

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/13a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined motif.

II B/16. 38 × 37 ×17 mm. 17 gr.

1390-277

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/13a, II B/14a.

II B/17. 32 × 30 ×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-256

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a hexagonal bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Winged horse and at 11’clock Pahlavi inscription: GDH: xwarrah. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird?

II B/18. 31 × 31 ×17 mm. 13 gr.

1390-283

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the margin Pahlavi inscription from 12 to 10 o’clock and 6 to 4 o’clock: ʾpzwn / plhw “increase/ blessed”. II B/19. 28 × 26.5 ×12 mm. 7 gr.

1390-285

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of broad a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II B/18.

49

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II B/20. 34 × 29 ×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390-430

Beige. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression= II B/18, II B/19

II B/21. 33 × 32 ×17 mm. 13 gr.

1390-298

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right and at 11’clock Pahlavi inscription: GDH: xwarrah. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II B/22. 35 × 32 ×12 mm. 10 gr.

1390-315

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/20a. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. In the field at 5 o’clock, crescent.

II B/23. 33 × 29 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390-328

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/21, II B/22a. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II B/24. 32 × 28 ×11 mm. 8 gr.

1390-463

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/21, II B/22a, II B/23a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. c) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

50

Catalogue

II B/25. 32 × 31 ×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390-309

Pinkish beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: ŠRM/drōd “peace”.

II B/26. 29 × 28 ×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-409

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/25.

II B/27. 31 × 27 ×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390-552

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/25, II B/26.

II B/28. 35 × 32 ×11 mm. 14 gr.

1390-394

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: GDH: xwarrah.

II B/29. 28.5 × 28 ×9 mm. 6 gr.

1390-410

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/28.

II B/30. 29 × 27.5 ×13 mm. 7 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/28, II B/29.

51

1390-568

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II B/31. 34 × 32 ×20 mm. 17 gr.

1390-677

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/28, II B/29, II B/30.

II B/32. 28 × 27 ×12 mm. 7 gr.

1390-435

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: ŠRM/drōd “peace”.

II B/33. 31 × 30 ×13 mm. 10 gr.

1390-607

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/32.

II B/34. 25.5 × 25 ×11 mm. 8 gr.

1390-627

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/32, II B/33.

II B/35. 32 × 31 ×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390-471

Grey .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/3.

II B/36. 41 × 31.5 ×21 mm. 22 gr.

1390-484

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/2a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Figure? c) Illegible impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter.

52

Catalogue

II B/37. 28 × 25 ×9 mm. 4 gr.

1390-489

Beige .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in two lines: lʾmšn / ŠRM “ramišn /drōd”.

II B/38. 26 × 25 ×17 mm. 7 gr.

1390-559

Dark grey .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: ŠRM/drōd “peace”.

II B/39. 31 × 25 ×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390-581

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring. Around from 12 to 7 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: ʾpzwn “ increase”. II B/40. 23× 17×13mm. 4 gr.

1390- 598

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions : a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the margin Pahlavi inscription: ʾp [zwn] “ increase.” b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel.

II B/41. 40× 38×21 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 612

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and eightpointed stars. In the margin from 1 to 11 oʼ clock and from 5 to 7 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: plhw / ʾpzwn “blessed / increase.”

53

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II B/42. 32 × 28 ×10 mm. 11 gr.

1390-621

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/10, II B/11a, II B/12, II B/13a b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II B/43. 38.5× 35×14 mm. 12 gr.

1390-706

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/10, II B/11a, II B/12, II B/13a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower.

II B/44. 30 × 26 ×6 mm. 7 gr.

1390-628

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression= II B/18, II B/19, II B/20. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II B/45. 33 × 31 ×8 mm. 9 gr.

1390-629

Beige .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel in a lozenge-shaped setting, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field crescent and six- pointed stars with Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: ŠRM/drōd “peace.”

II B/46. 32 × 30 ×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390-652

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel , 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Hand. In the margin 4 to 2 oʼ clock: ŠRM “peace” and from 10 to 8 oʼ clock: Undetermined Pahlavi inscription.

54

Catalogue

II B/47. 28 × 26 ×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390-659

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field crescent and six- pointed stars with Pahlavi inscription in double stroke: ŠRM/drōd “peace.”

II B/48. 28 × 27 ×12 mm. 10 gr.

1390-725

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/47.

II B/49. 28 × 28 ×11 mm. 10 gr.

1390-738

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel = II B/47, II B/48.

II B/50. 30× 29×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 753

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field at 9 oʼ clock crescent and at 2 oʼ clock eight-pointed stars. In the margin from 1 to 11 oʼ clock Pahlavi inscription: ʾpzwn “increase.”

b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II B/51. 32× 38×18 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 754

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions : a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel, Lion couchant and around fragmentary Pahlavi inscription: ʾpzwn “increase.” b) Erased impression. II B/52. 32 × 31 ×13 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 785

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II B/21, II B/22a, II B/23a, II B/24a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

55

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II C. Clay sealings with an abbreviation

II C/1. 29 × 28 ×14 mm. 12 gr.

1390-1

Reddish-brown.On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9.5 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram crouching to right with diadem ties at neck. At 12 o’clock, two Pahlavi letters: AT.

II C/2.

31 × 30.5 ×18 mm. 16 gr.

1390-7

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9.5 mm at its greatest diameter= II C/1.

II C/3.

31 × 29 ×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390-268

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9.5 mm at its greatest diameter= II C/1, II C/2.

II C/4.

29 × 27.5 ×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390-269

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9.5 mm at its greatest diameter= II C/1, II C/2, II C/3.

II C/5. 31 × 30× 16 mm, 11 gr.

1390-55

Brown.On back two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: Impression of a convex bezel, 6 × 5 mm Pahlavi letters MW in double stroke.

56

Catalogue

II C/6.

24 × 21× 12 mm, 7 gr.

1390-56

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing one seal impression: Impression of a convex bezel, 4.2 × 3.2 mm Pahlavi letters MHW in double stroke.

II C/7.

26 × 23 ×10 mm, 5 gr.

1390-62

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters.

II C/8.

28.5 × 24 ×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390-107

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters HW in double stroke and at 3 o’clock crescent, at 9 o’clock six-pointed stars. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II C/9.

34 × 30 ×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390-153

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MHW in double stroke.

II C/10.

32 × 27 ×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-164

Grey, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MHW in double stroke.

II C/11.

32.5 × 31 ×16 mm. 12 gr.

1390-178

Grey, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MHW in double stroke.

57

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II C/12.

31 × 29 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390-185

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 4 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MW in double stroke.

II C/13.

30 × 28 ×12 mm. 6 gr.

1390-195

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the field at 11 o’clock Pahlavi letters ᾹN in double stroke. II C/14.

32.5 × 26 ×14 mm. 11 gr.

1390-250

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MW in double stroke, b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right, c) Impression of a lozenge- shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Cross?

II C/15.

29 × 28 ×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390-251

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MW in double stroke, b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile, c) Impression = II E/193.

II C/16. 31.5 × 29 ×13 mm. 9 gr.

1390-259

Beige-brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel in a lozenge-shaped setting. 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MHW in double stroke.

58

Catalogue

II C/17. 30 × 29 ×16 mm. 12 gr.

1390-290

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel. 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MT in double stroke.

II C/18. 34 ×31.5 ×13 mm. 10 gr.

1390-325

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II B/17.

II C/19. 30 ×28 ×13 mm. 11 gr.

1390-386

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II B/17, II B/18. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel. 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II C/20. 26 ×25 ×7 mm. 8 gr.

1390-625

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II B/17, II B/18, II C/19a.

II C/21. 29.5 ×29 ×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390-697

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II B/17, II B/18, II C/19a, II C/20. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel. 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion.

59

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II C/22. 45 × 42 ×20 mm. 36 gr.

1390-305

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel. 11 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field Pahlavi letters LHW in double stroke and at 6 o’clock crescent. In the margin from 1 to 10 o’clock Pahlavi inscription: plhw/farrox “blessed”.

II C/23. 37 × 33 ×14 mm. 15 gr.

1390-308

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes into the bulla. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel. 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Crane in right profile. In the field at 3 o’clock, two Pahlavi letters: GW.

II C/24. 29 × 28 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390-310

Beige-brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel .10 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters. MHW in double stroke.

II C/25. 29 × 24.5 ×13 mm. 8 gr.

1390-436

Beige-brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/24.

II C/26. 34 × 33 ×15 mm. 14 gr.

1390-320

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MHW in double stroke, above Pahlavi letter P.

60

Catalogue

II C/27. 30 × 28 ×9 mm. 10 gr.

1390-342

Dark grey. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters HW in double stroke. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral motif with crescent and six-pointed stars in the field.

II C/28. 31 × 25.5 ×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390-374

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters GW in double stroke in a border of annulets. In the field at 4 o’clock crescent.

II C/29. 33 × 32 ×8 mm. 10 gr.

1390-384

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters GW in double stroke in a border of annulets. In the margin from 3 to 12 o’clock, Pahlavi inscription: ʾpzwn “increase.” II C/30. 29 × 28 ×13 mm. 9 gr.

1390-663

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/29.

II C/31.

32 × 31 ×10 mm. 12 gr.

1390-390

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/1, II C/2, II C/3, II C/4.

II C/32.

25 × 23 ×10 mm. 4 gr.

1390-422

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/1, II C/2, II C/3, II C/4, II C/31. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

61

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II C/33.

30 × 29 ×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390-494

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/1, II C/2, II C/3, II C/4, II C/31, II C/32.

II C/34.

34 × 31 ×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-609

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/1, II C/2, II C/3, II C/4, II C/31, II C/32, II C/33.

II C/35.

25 × 23 ×10 mm. 4 gr.

1390-432

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MW in double stroke .In the field at 12 o’clock, crescent and at to 9 o’clock, six- pointed stars.

II C/36. 27 × 24 ×12 mm. 5 gr.

1390-434

Grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II C/26.

II C/37. 28 × 26 ×10 mm. 8 gr.

1390-525

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II C/26, II C/36.

62

Catalogue

II C/38. 27 × 28 ×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-617

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression = II C/26, II C/36, II C/37.

II C/39. 31 × 28 ×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390-574

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II C/26, II C/36, II C/37, II C/38.

II C/40. 32 × 28 ×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390-664

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II C/26, II C/36, II C/37, II C/38, II C/39.

II C/41.

26 × 24× 13 mm. 8 gr.

1390-439

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/5.

II C/42 31.5 × 29× 15 mm. 7 gr.

1390-458

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel.9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MW in double stroke.

II C/43 32 × 30 ×14 mm. 9 gr. Dark beige. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/42.

63

1390-653

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II C/44 34 × 32× 14 mm. 40 gr.

1390-577

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel.9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MW in double stroke. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal with elongated body walking to the right.

II C/45 31 × 25× 13 mm. 8 gr.

1390-493

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MHW in double stroke. b) Illegible impression of a rectangular seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter.

II C/46 32 × 30× 13 mm. 10 gr.

1390-507

Reddish brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters MW in double stroke. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters HW in double stroke. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Rabbit.

II C/47. 33 × 31.5 ×8 mm. 11 gr.

1390-522

Brown. On back, two stringholes into the bulla. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/23.

II C/48. 32 × 28×16 mm. 8 gr.

1390-548

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Scorpion before Pahlavi letters GW in double stroke with crescent and six-pointed stars.

64

Catalogue

II C/49.

29 × 25 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390-553

Grey. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II C/12.

II C/50.

35.5 × 32 ×14 mm. 17 gr.

1390-615

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters DHW

in

double

stroke

with

crescent

and

eight-pointed

stars.

b) Impression of a rectangular seal. 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower.

II C/51.

31 × 29 ×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390-618

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters GW in double stroke. b ) Almost erased Impression of a convex bezel. Device.

II C/52.

28 × 27 ×19 mm. 11 gr.

1390-718

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression = II C/51a.

II C/53. 31 × 29 ×13 mm. 8 gr.

1390-636

Beige-brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters. MHW in double stroke.

65

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II C/54. 31.5 × 30 ×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390-666

Beige- brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel .7 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters. MW in double stroke. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. c) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/193, II E/325b, II E/342, II E/435.

II C/55.

28 × 24 ×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390-667

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters GW in double stroke with crescent.

II C/56.

28 × 25 ×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390-674

Brown.On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II C/12, II C/49.

II C/57.

32 × 30 ×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390-678

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Pahlavi letters DHW in double stroke with crescent and six-pointed stars. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼs head in a border of pearls.

II C/58. 27 × 28 ×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-684

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II C/26, II C/36, II C/37, II C/38.

66

Catalogue

II C/59. 28 × 25 ×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390-698

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impression: a ) Impression = II C/26, II C/36, II C/37, II C/38, II C/57. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased motif.

II C/60. 29 × 28 ×11 mm. 9 gr.

1390-727

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression = II C/26, II C/36, II C/37, II C/38, II C/57, II C/59a, II C/56.

II C/61. 29 × 28 ×11 mm. 9 gr.

1390-730

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II C/26, II C/36, II C/37, II C/38, II C/57, II C/59a, II C/60.

II C/62.

35 × 33 ×16 mm. 12 gr.

1390-743

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II C/1, II C/2, II C/3, II C/4, II C/31, II C/32, II C/33, II C/34. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right with crescent at 11 o’clock. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with crescent at 11 o’clock.

II C/63. 28 × 24 ×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-750

Dark beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II C/53.

67

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II C/64. 33 × 31 ×11 mm. 12 gr.

1390-761

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II C/53, II C/63.

II C/65.

40 × 34.5 ×12 mm. 14 gr.

1390-762

Dark beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one two impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II C/12, II C/49, II C/56. b) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/434, II E/435, II E/465a, II E/491.

68

Catalogue

II D. Clay sealings with illegible inscriptions

II D/1. 30 × 29 ×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390-14

Beige brown. On back, bullae pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Cock in right profile, in the margin erased Pahlavi inscription. II D/2. 35 × 34 ×18 mm. 17 gr.

1390-39

Brown, On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions:

a) Impression of a convex bezel,

b) Impression of a lozenge shape

13 mm at its greatest diameter.

bezel,

Device, in the margin erased

10

mm

at

its

greatest

diameter. Male figure.

Pahlavi inscription. II D/3. 29 × 28 ×19 mm. 12 gr.

1390-52

Brown, On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal? The other impressions are illegible. II D/4. 30 × 25 ×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390-53

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

69

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II D/5. 31 × 29 ×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390-83

Beige brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile, illegible Pahlavi inscription above it. II D/6. 23 × 21 ×11 mm. 4 gr.

1390-84

Brown. On back, bulla was pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile, from 12 o’clock illegible Pahlavi inscription. II D/7. 30 × 26 ×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390-121

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. Illegible Pahlavi inscription. II D/8. 28 × 27 ×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390-127

Brown, partly blackened. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Hand, around illegible Pahlavi inscription. II D/9. 34 × 27.5 ×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-158

Grey. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device, around illegible Pahlavi inscription. II D/10. 30 × 28 ×18 mm. 9 gr.

1390-236

Brown, partly blackened. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile, above illegible Pahlavi inscription.

70

Catalogue

II D/11. 29.5 × 29 ×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390-262

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile. Around illegible Pahlavi inscription.

II D/12. 33 × 30 ×10 mm. 10 gr.

1390-354

Reddish brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the margin from 4 to 8 o’clock illegible Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. II D/13. 32 × 30.5 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390-363

Reddish brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Humpbacked bull. In the margin from 1 to 10 o’clock illegible Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag crouching to right. II D/14. 35 × 30×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390-440

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased Pahlavi inscription in two lines. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. II D/15. 51 × 50×21 mm. 42 gr.

1390-468

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Erased impression convex bezel, 20 mm at its greatest diameter. b) Almost erased impression of a convex bezel, 15 mm at its greatest diameter. Device, c) Erased impression convex seal, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag? Walking to right.

71

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II D/16. 23 × 22×12 mm. 5 gr.

1390-510

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. Around illegible Pahlavi inscription. II D/17. 26× 23×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 600

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. II D/18. 31× 30×7 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 626

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Around from 12 to8 oʼ clock illegible Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird to left. II D/19. 23 × 22×12 mm. 5 gr.

1390-683

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. In the field undetermined Pahlavi inscription. II D/20. 30 × 28×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-774

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Symbol. Around illegible Pahlavi inscription. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

72

Catalogue

II E. Non–inscribed clay sealings

II E/1. 32 × 31 ×15 mm. 16 gr.

1390-2

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression :a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 14 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag walking to right.

II E/2. 32 × 31 × 13 mm. 13 gr.

1390-3

Reddish-brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram crouching to right.

II E/3. 31.5 × 31 ×16 mm. 20 gr.

1390-4

Reddish-brown .On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 14 mm at its greatest diameter= II E/1.

II E/4. 31 × 30.5 ×19 mm. 15 gr.

1390-5

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel= II E/1, II E/3.

II E/5. 26.5 × 22 ×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390-6

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram walking to right.

73

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/6. 32 × 31 ×18 mm. 15 gr.

1390-8

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile.

II E/7. 36.5 × 35 ×20 mm. 18.5 gr.

1390-9

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion Crouching to right.

II E/8. 29 × 25 ×10 mm. 10 gr.

1390-10

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/7.

II E/9. 29 × 25 ×12 mm. 6 gr.

1390-11

Beige brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/7, II E/8.

II E/10. 28 × 27 ×13 mm. 9 gr.

1390-12

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag walking to right.

II E/11. 31 × 29 ×13 mm. 9 gr.

1390-13

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal

impression:

a)

Impression

II E/9.

74

of

a

convex

bezel, II E/7,

II

E/8,

Catalogue

II E/12. 38 × 34 ×15 mm. 15 gr.

1390-15 Beige

brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a)

Impression

of

a

convex

bezel,

9

mm

at

its

greatest

diameter.

Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/13. 28.5 × 27.5 ×11 mm. 8 gr.

1390-16

Dark grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile. II E/14. 28× 27×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-17

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, II E/7, II E/8, II E/9, II E/11.

II E/15. 30.5× 28×18 mm. 8 gr.

1390-18

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/16. 30.5 × 28 ×19 mm. 15 gr.

1390-19

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lions head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/17. 31 × 28.5 ×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390-20

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls

75

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II II E/18. E/18.31.5 31.5 × 30.5 × 30.5 ×21×21 mm. mm. 18 18 gr. gr.

1390-211390-21

Reddish Reddishbrown brown. . On Onback, back,bullae bullapierced piercedbybytwo twostringholes. stringholes. Bulla Bulla bearing bearing oneone sealseal impression: impression:a)a)Impression Impressionofofa convex a convex bezel, bezel, 1010 mm mm at at its its greatest greatest diameter. diameter. Boarʾs Boarʾs head headininright rightprofile profileinina aborder borderofofpearls. pearls.

II E/19. 28.5 × 28.5 ×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390-22

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile.

II E/20. 30.5 × 29.5 ×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390-23

Reddish brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/21. 31 × 29.5 ×19 mm. 13.5 gr.

1390-24

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter = II E/16.

II E/22. 32 × 29.5 ×17 mm. 13 gr.

1390-25

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

76

Catalogue

II E/23. 34 × 31 ×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390-26

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/24. 34 × 31 ×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-27

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element.

II E/25. 28.5 × 25 ×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390-28

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel,

II E/7, II E/8,

II E/9, II E/11, II E/14.

II E/26. 30.5 × 28 ×22 mm. 13.5 gr.

1390-29

Beige brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/27. 33 × 33 ×16 mm. 19 gr.

1390-30

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile.

II E/28. 30× 25 ×14 mm. 20 gr.

1390-31

Dark brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile in a border of pearls.

77

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/29. 28 × 28 ×17 mm. 8 gr.

1390-32

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile.

II E/30. 30.5 × 28 ×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390-33

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. = II E/7, II E/8,I E/9, II E/11, II E/14, II E/24.

II E/31. 30× 29 ×18 mm. 11 gr.

1390-34

Brown.On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile.

II E/32. 32× 31 ×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390-35

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile.

II E/33. 26× 25 ×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390-36

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased.

II E/34. 25× 24 ×6 mm. 13 gr.

1390-37

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal?

78

Catalogue

II E/35. 24× 22 ×11 mm. 4 gr.

1390-38

Brown.On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile.

II E/36. 32× 29 ×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 44

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/37. 26× 25 ×10 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 59

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/38. 34× 34 ×14 mm. 18 gr.

1390- 63

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile. b) Illegible inscription of lozenge-shaped bezel.

II E/39. 32× 31 ×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 64

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. In the field crescent at 12 o’clock.

II E/40. 32× 27 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 65

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

79

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/41.

32.5× 31 ×13 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 66

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Female figure. d) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal?

II E/42. 30× 29 ×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 67

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/43. 34× 31.5 ×15 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 68

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device? c) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and eight pointed stars.

II E/44. 31× 28 ×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 69

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/45. 30× 28 ×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 70

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring. A crescent at 12 o’clock.

II E/46. 32× 25 ×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 71

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

80

Catalogue

II E/47. 32.5× 32 ×18 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 72

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird walking to right. b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel.

II E/48. 28× 26 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 73

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Ibex crouching to right. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/49. 28.5× 26.5 ×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 74

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/50. 28× 26.5 ×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 75

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Symbol? b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/51. 25.5× 22.5 ×13 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 76

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird standing in right profile. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Two birds facing each other.

81

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/52. 28× 25×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 77

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/45.

II E/53. 28× 24×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 80

Beige brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/54. 25× 25×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 81

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/55. 25× 25×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 82

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird?

II E/56. 25× 24×12 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 85

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Impression of a convex seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/57. 28× 25×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 86

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring, crescent at 12 o’clock.

82

Catalogue

II E/58. 30× 29.5×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 87

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram crouching to right with diadem ties at neck.

II E/59. 29× 25×19 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 88

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag couchant to right.

II E/60. 33× 31×19 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 89

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower.

II E/61. 24× 23×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 96

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/60.

II E/62. 32× 30×12 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 90

Brown.On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral motif. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II E/63. 28× 28×12 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 91

Beige .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile in a border of pearls.

83

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/64. 32× 26×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 92

Dark brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing five seal impressions of the same seal: a, b, c, d, e) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower.

II E/65. 36× 31×18 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 93

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II E/66. 36× 31×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 94

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible impression.

II E/67. 28.5× 22×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 95

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/64. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 m at its greatest diameter. Illegible impression.

II E/68. 31.5× 30×16 mm. 11gr.

1390- 97

Dark brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/64, II E/67a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird? c) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 m at its greatest diameter. Illegible impression.

84

Catalogue

II E/69. 29× 24×15 mm. 11gr.

1390- 98

Dark brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/64, II E/67a, II E/68a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. c) Erased impression.

II E/70. 30 ×29 ×16 mm. 11gr.

1390- 99

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/64, II E/67a, II E/68a, II E/69a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Camel to left. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent.

II E/71.

28.5 × 28×12 mm. 16gr.

1390- 100

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/64, II E/67a, II E/68a, II E/69a, II E/70a. b) Impression = II E/70c. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II E/72.

31.5 × 30×18 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 102

Beige. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/7, II E/8, II E/9, II E/11, II E/14.

II E/73. 30× 30×17 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 103

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/74. 31× 29.5×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 104

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. b) Illegible impression.

85

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/75. 28.5× 28.5×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 105

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right, crescent at 7 o’clock.

II E/76. 34× 32.5×18 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 106

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/77. 30× 28.5×11 mm. 7gr.

1390- 108

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/78. 30× 29×16 mm. 11gr.

1390- 109

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right, crescent at 6 o’clock.

II E/79. 27× 25×14 mm. 6gr.

1390- 110

Reddish brown .On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/78.

II E/80. 32× 23×12 mm. 5gr.

1390- 112

Beige. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/78, II E/79.

86

Catalogue

II E/81. 32× 23×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 113

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/78, II E/79, II E/80.

II E/82. 32× 26×13 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 114

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81.

II E/83. 29× 26.5×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 115

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82.

II E/84. 29× 26.5×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 116

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82, II E/83.

II E/85. 28× 27.5×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 117

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82, II E/83, II E/84.

II E/86. 32.5× 31×14 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 118

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85.

87

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/87. 29× 25×16 mm. 8gr.

1390- 124

Reddish brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86.

II E/88. 26× 25×12 mm. 6gr.

1390- 111

Dark brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right, crescent at 10 o’clock.

II E/89. 28× 25×14 mm. 8gr.

1390- 116

Grey. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/90. 38× 32×17 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 119

Grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/91. 29.5× 28×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 120

Reddish brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/92. 23.5× 21×13 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 122

Reddish beige .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion? couchant to right.

88

Catalogue

II E/93. 32× 30.5×11 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 123

Brown.On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/94. 32× 27×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 126

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/95. 30× 29×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 128

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/96. 34.5× 32×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 129

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent in a border of pearls. b) Impression of a lozenge- shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/97. 27.5× 26×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 130

Brown.On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and six-pointed stars.

II E/98

33× 30×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 131

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

89

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/99

28× 28×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 132

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element?

II E/100

35× 22×16 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 133

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions of the same seal: a, b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and sixpointed stars in a border of pearls.

II E/101 33.5× 31×18 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 134

Beige. On back, two stringholes and marks of crossing grooves. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile and six-pointed stars at 10 o’clock.

II E/102 34.5× 34×16 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 135

Brown. On back, four stringholes and marks of crossing grooves. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/103 28× 27×14 mm. 8 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/16, II E/21. b) Impression of a convex bezel. Illegible impression.

90

1390- 136

Catalogue

II E/104 31.5× 26×12 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 137

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile and six-pointed stars at 1 o’clock.

II E/105 35× 36×19 mm. 21 gr.

1390- 138

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/106 35× 33×17 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 139

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/107 36.5× 37×19 mm. 18 gr.

1390- 140

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/106.

II E/108 28× 26×17 mm. 7 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/106, II E/107.

91

1390- 143

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/109 42× 40×17 mm. 25 gr.

1390- 144

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/106, II E/107, II E/108.

II E/110 34× 33×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 147

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/106, II E/107, II E/108, II E/109.

II E/110 39× 32×14 mm. 17 gr.

1390- 148

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/106, II E/107, II E/108, II E/109, II E/110.

II E/111 28× 27×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 141

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter, set in a mount. Boarʾs head in right profile.

II E/112 34× 33×14 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 142

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile and stars at 8 o’clock. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6mm at its greatest diameter. Stag ? Crouching to right.

92

Catalogue

II E/113 35× 34×20 mm. 17 gr.

1390- 145

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a, II E/105a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/114 30× 30×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 146

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased Pahlavi inscription.

II E/115 35× 30×14 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 149

Grey, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. c) Erased Impression.

II E/116 32× 31×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 151

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/117

32× 30×16 mm. 13 gr.

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116.

93

1390- 157

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/118

32.5× 31×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 152

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and sixpointed stars.

II E/119

32× 27×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 154

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Symbol? b) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/120 23× 22×11 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 155

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. At 8 o’clock crescent and at 4 o’clock five pointed-stars.

II E/121

31.5× 30×14 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 156

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device?

II E/122 32× 28×17 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 159

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Nike with ring.

II E/123 29× 24×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 162

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122.

94

Catalogue

II E/124 31× 30×11 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 160

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/125. 30× 27×15 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 161

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing three seal impressions: a ) Impression = II E/64, II E/67a, II E/68a, II E/69a, II E/70a, II E/71a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent.

II E/126. 22× 16×11 mm. 3 gr.

1390- 165

Brown. On back, two stringholes and bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal walking to left.

II E/127. 34.5× 33×16 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 166

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in right profile in a border of pearls. b) Impression = E/114a.

II E/128. 28.5× 26×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 169

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Elephant in right profile.

II E/129. 38× 36×20 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 170

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible impression.

95

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/130. 29.5× 29×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 171

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram? Couchant to right with diadem- ties at neck. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device?

II E/131. 31.5× 31×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 172

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/122, II E/123.

II E/132. 33× 32×18 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 176

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131.

II E/133. 23.5× 22.5×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 177

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132.

II E/134. 29.5× 28×16 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 182

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133.

II E/135. 27× 24×13 mm. 7gr. Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134.

96

1390- 188

Catalogue

II E/136. 34× 33×19 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 173

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Cock in right profile.

II E/137. 31× 30×18 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 174

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/138. 32× 28×18 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 175

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a, II E/105a, II E/113a.

II E/139. 25× 24×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 206

Brown, partly blackened .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a, II E/105a, II E/113a, II E/138.

II E/140. 31.5× 30×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 179

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element?

97

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/141. 33× 31×16 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 180

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II /85, II E/86, II E/87. II E/142. 38× 36.5×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 181

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and eight pointed stars.

II E/143. 31.5× 29×16 mm. 10gr.

1390- 183

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element.

II E/144. 31× 28×15 mm. 11gr.

1390- 186

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and eight pointed stars.

II E/145. 26× 24×12 mm. 5gr.

1390- 187

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile.

98

Catalogue

II E/146. 31.5× 26×11 mm. 9gr.

1390- 189

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/147. 26× 24×14 mm. 6gr.

1390- 190

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Gayōmard. b) Erased impression

II E/148. 38× 35.5×13 mm. 3gr.

1390- 191

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/149. 32× 31×14 mm. 9gr.

1390- 193

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/150. 32× 30×15 mm. 10gr.

1390- 194

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

99

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/151. 32× 30×13 mm. 8gr.

1390- 197

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and eight pointed stars.

II E/152. 36× 30×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 198

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141.

II E/153. 31× 30×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 207

Reddish brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152.

II E/154. 29× 28×15 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 210

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153.

II E/155. 30× 29×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 212

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a)Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154

100

Catalogue

II E/156. 32× 31.5×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 199

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right with undermined object above its head b) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/157. 42× 41.5×16 mm. 25 gr.

1390- 200

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, mounted in a setting, 4 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/158. 38× 35×14 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 201

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, mounted in a setting 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring.

II E/159. 30× 28×12 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 202

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/154.

II E/160. 32× 30×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 203

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile. Crescent in the field at 11 o’clock.

101

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/161. 30× 28×12 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 204

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II E/162. 31.5× 29×16 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 205

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel with marks of setting, 4 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/163. 31× 30×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 211

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/164. 25× 22×15 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 213

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile.

II E/165. 34× 29×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 215

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the field at 11 o’clock, crescent and at 6 o’clock six-pointed stars. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible motif.

II E/166. 32× 28×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 216

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring. In the field at 12 o’clock, crescent.

102

Catalogue

II E/167. 35.5× 34×17 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 219

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal walking to right. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/168. 28× 24×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 220

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/144.

II E/169. 30× 29×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 222

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/144, II E/168.

II E/170. 27× 24.5×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 245

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/144, II E/168, II E/169.

II E/171. 32× 31×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-221

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/165. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring at beak.

II E/172. 31× 29×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390-223

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with diadem ties at neck and ring adorned with two pearls at beak.

103

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/173. 35× 34×17 mm. 15 gr.

1390-226

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 15 mm at its greatest diameter. At the left, lion in right profile and at the right, winged horse in left profile facing in opposite. In the field at 12 o’clock crescent and at 6 o’clock six-pointed stars.

II E/174. 27× 25×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390-242

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/173.

II E/175. 30× 28×17 mm. 11 gr.

1390-272

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/173, II E/174.

II E/176. 32.5× 31×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390-229

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring at beak. Crescent in the field at 12 o’clock.

II E/177. 23 × 22×12 mm. 4 gr.

1390-232

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower in a border of pearls.

II E/178. 26 × 24×17 mm. 8 gr. Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/177.

104

1390-244

Catalogue

II E/179. 33× 31×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390-233

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and fivepointed stars in a border of pearls.

II E/180.

31× 30×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390-234

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal? Walking to right. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼs head.

II E/181. 32.5× 31.5×18 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 237

Brown, partly blackened .On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a, II E/105a, II E/113a, II E/138, II E/139.

II E/182. 34× 30×19 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 266

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a, II E/105a, II E/113a, II E/138, II E/139, II E/181.

II E/183. 27× 24.5×15 mm. 8 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a, II E/105a, II E/113a, II E/138, II E/139, II E/181, II E/182.

105

1390- 273

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/184. 32× 28×16 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 238

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 4 o’clock crescent, and at 8 o’clock eight pointed stars.

II E/185. 28× 26×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 249

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/184.

II E/186. 32× 30×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 270

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/184, II E/185.

II E/187. 35× 33×16 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 239

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Elephant walking to right.

II E/188. 32× 30×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 240

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/187.

II E/189. 32× 28×13 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 267

Dark brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/187, II E/188.

106

Catalogue

II E/190. 33× 31.5×15 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 288

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/187, II E/188, II E/189.

II E/191. 33× 32×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 296

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/187, II E/188, II E/189, II E/190.

II E/192. 27× 24.5×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 243

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, mounted in a lozenge-shaped setting. 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and six- pointed stars.

II E/193. 28× 24× 15 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 246

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined.

II E/194. 32× 27.5× 16 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 253

Brown, partly blackened. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

107

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/195. 31×26×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 254

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Cock in right profile with ring. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal in right profile. c) Impression = II E/193.

II E/196. 31.5×29×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 258

Dark brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/197. 22.5×21.5×12 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 263

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

II E/198. 28.5×27.5×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 271

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135.

II E/199. 28×27.5×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 306

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135, II E/198.

II E/200. 22×21×10 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 275

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and eight pointed stars. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion.

108

Catalogue

II E/201. 32×28.5×19 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 276

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag crouching to right.

II E/202. 29×25.5×12 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 278

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155.

II E/203. 29×25.5×12 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 291

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201.

II E/204. 29× 26×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 304

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203.

II E/205. 29×25.5×12 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 279

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram walking to right.

109

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/206.

34× 32×20 mm. 18 gr.

1390- 280

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117.

II E/207

32× 29×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 286

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206.

II E/208

35× 33×16 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 281

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/150.

II E/209 31× 28.5×13 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 282

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal?

II E/210 30× 28.5×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 287

Brown. On two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/211. 32× 31×18 mm. 12 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a, II E/105a, II E/113a, II E/138, II E/139, II E/181, II E/182 , II E/183.

110

1390- 289

Catalogue

II E/212. 31× 27×17 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 292

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/213. 34× 32×16 mm. 14gr.

1390- 293

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls. Crescent in the field at 2 o’clock. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II E/214. 23× 22×9 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 295

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II E/215. 28× 27×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 299

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 10 o’clock, crescent. b) Erased impression.

II E/216. 27× 24×13 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 300

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

111

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/217. 29× 24×12 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 301

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird with diadem ties at neck in right profile.

II E/218. 30× 28×8 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 302

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. Crescent in the field at 3 o’clock and at 9 o’clock six-pointed stars.

II E/219. 37.5× 36×16 mm. 17 gr.

1390- 303

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression = II E/218.

II E/220. 41× 38×8 mm. 17 gr.

1390- 329

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression = II E/218, II E/219.

II E/221. 36× 34×12 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 332

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220.

II E/222. 33.5× 30×15 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 307

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

112

Catalogue

II E/223. 40× 29×31 mm. 32 gr.

1390- 312

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression = II E/222.

II E/224. 36× 33×17 mm. 18 gr.

1390- 313

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/225. 30× 29×11 mm. 10gr.

1390- 311

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Two birds facing each other and bearing a ring.

II E/226. 33 × 32×21 mm. 17 gr.

1390-314

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/177, II E/178.

II E/227. 33 × 25×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390-316

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/177, II E/178, II E/226.

II E/228.

32× 31×18 mm. 16 gr.

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207.

113

1390- 318

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/229.

36× 35×19 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 326

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228.

II E/230.

29× 25×11 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 333

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229.

II E/231.

33× 30×11 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 334

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230.

II E/232.

33× 32×14 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 337

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231.

II E/233.

34× 32.5×11 mm. 11 gr.

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232.

114

1390- 344

Catalogue

II E/234.

38.5× 36×13 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 347

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233.

II E/235.

28× 24.5×11 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 353

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233, II E/234.

II E/236.

31× 28×5 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 355

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233, II E/235.

II E/237.

32× 29×17 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 359

Brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233, II E/235, II E/236.

II E/238

31× 24×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 319

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, crescent and at 6 o’clock star.

115

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/239. 32× 31×15mm. 13gr.

1390- 321

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 14 mm at its greatest diameter. Two birds facing each other and bearing a ring with two pearls.

II E/240. 32× 31×12mm. 9gr.

1390- 324

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion?

II E/241. 33× 32×17 mm. 14gr.

1390- 327

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 4 o’clock, crescent and at 8 o’clock six pointed stars.

II E/242. 37× 33×12 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 346

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/241.

II E/243. 37× 34×14 mm. 21 gr.

1390- 330

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 2 o’clock, crescent.

116

Catalogue

II E/244. 33.5× 32×11 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 338

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/243.

II E/245. 37× 34×14 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 349

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/243, II E/244.

II E/246. 33.5× 33.5×18 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 360

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/243, II E/244, II E/245.

II E/247. 40× 39×11 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 331

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/184, II E/185, II E/186.

II E/248. 31.5× 28×8 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 351

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/184, II E/185, II E/186, II E/247.

II E/249. 29× 28×12 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 335

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 3 and 4 o’clock, two crescents.

117

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/250. 35× 34×8 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 336

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/251. 28× 22×6 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 339

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 2 o’clock six- pointed stars and at 11 o’clock crescent.

II E/252. 31× 28×6 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 340

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/253. 31× 28×14 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 350

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/254. 29× 24.5×8 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 352

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/255. 33.5× 32.5×13 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 357

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird?

118

Catalogue

II E/256. 28× 23×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 361

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 9 o’clock eight pointed stars.

II E/257. 27× 25×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 371

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/256.

II E/258. 32× 28×12 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 366

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/259. 34× 32×16 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 367

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/260. 32× 30×18 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 368

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Figure in right profile.

119

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/261. 28× 27×12 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 377

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/260a.

II E/262. 30× 28×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 373

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and sixpointed stars in border of annulets.

II E/263. 26× 25×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 375

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/264. 28.5× 22×13 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 378

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 3oʼclock, crescent and at 9oʼclock six- pointed stars. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Female figure.

II E/265. 31× 28×12 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 379

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 3 o’clock six-pointed stars and at 9 o’clock, crescent. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring.

120

Catalogue

II E/266. 32× 22.5×10 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 381

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/267. 28× 25×7 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 382

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 2 o’clock six-pointed stars and at 10 o’clock, crescent.

II E/268. 33× 33×9 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 383

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/269. 33× 31.5×10 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 385

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field crescent at 2 o’clock. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/270. 35× 29×12 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 387

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʾs head in right profile in border of a pearl.

121

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/271. 32× 28×10 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 388

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag crouching to right. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. c) Impression = II E/193.

II E/272. 40× 34×14 mm. 22 gr.

1390- 389

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. In the field at 10 o’clock, crescent. b) Impression of a convex seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram crouching to right with diadem ties at neck. c) Impression of a convex seal, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II E/273. 34× 28×10 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 391

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/16, II E/21, II E/103a, II E/105a, II E/113a, II E/138, II E/139, II E/181, II E/182, II E/183, II E/211.

II E/274. 31× 30×11 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 392

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Impression of a Lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II E/275. 28× 26×6 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 393

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a Lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

122

Catalogue

II E/276. 29× 26×12 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 395

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/277. 29× 25×9 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 398

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/276

II E/278. 31× 30×13 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 414

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/276, II E/277.

II E/279. 30× 29×14 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 397

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal = II E/253.

II E/280. 32.5× 31×15 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 462

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal = II E/253, II E/279.

II E/281. 38× 35.5×12 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 399

Dark grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221.

123

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/282. 32× 30×12 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 400

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281

II E/283. 39× 38×16 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 407

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281, II E/282.

II E/284. 35× 34×10 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 415

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281, II E/282, II E/283.

II E/285. 32× 28.5×9 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 420

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281 , II E/282, II E/283, II E/284

II E/286. 33× 28×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 401

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel. 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Two figures facing each other. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

124

Catalogue

II E/287. 32× 31×12 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 416

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression= II E/286b b) Impression of a convex bezel. 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird to left. c) Impression of a convex bezel. 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion.

II E/288. 33× 28×17 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 402

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/289. 29× 25×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 403

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel. 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device

II E/290. 35× 29×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 405

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Almost erased impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Figure? b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/291. 32.5× 32×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 406

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/292. 29× 25×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 408

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device?

125

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/293. 26× 24×13 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 412

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/294. 31× 28×12 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 413

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/295. 31× 30×12 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 417

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a ) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/260a, II E/261. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag in left profile.

II E/296. 34× 31×12 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 418

Grayish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device in border of annulets. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Swastica.

II E/297. 28× 25×6 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 419

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/266a. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Symbol.

126

Catalogue

II E/298. 31× 29×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 423

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 2 o’clock six pointed stars and at 10 o’clock, crescent. b) Illegible impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/299. 32× 29×14 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 426

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/300. 26× 24×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 427

Dark grey. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing five seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and sixpointed stars. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. d) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile. e) Illegible impression.

II E/301. 28 × 25×14 mm. 7 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/177, II E/178, II E/226, II E/227.

127

1390-428

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/302. 38 × 33×13 mm. 12 gr.

1390-429

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impression: a) Impression = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233, II E/235, II E/236, II E/237. b) Undetermined motif of a convex bezel.

II E/303. 30 × 26×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390-431

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring.

II E/304. 32× 30×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 438

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/305. 32× 30×14 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 442

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel in a border of pearls.

II E/306. 33× 32×13 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 443

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag walking to right d) Undetermined motif.

128

Catalogue

II E/307. 31× 30×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 445

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Six circular dots in a lozenge. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal crouching to left.

II E/308. 31× 28×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 446

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/290.

II E/309. 36× 36×15 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 447

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281, II E/282, II E/283.

II E/310. 32× 31×16 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 450

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281, II E/282, II E/283, II E/309.

II E/311. 26× 23×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 449

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

129

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/312. 32× 30×8 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 451

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag reclining to the right and looking back. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird with ring.

II E/313. 28× 27×10 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 453

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Erased impression of a rectangular seal.

II E/314. 31.5× 29×12 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 455

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal? in left profile.

II E/315. 31.5× 29×18 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 456

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/316. 31.5× 29×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 457

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/266a, II E/297a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Dog? in left profile.

130

Catalogue

II E/317. 30× 30×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 461

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/265a, II E/297a, II E/316a. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel. 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II E/318. 24×22.5×10 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 459

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135, II E/198, II E/199.

II E/319. 32×32×17 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 472

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135, II E/198, II E/199, II E/318.

II E/320. 31.5 × 28 ×17 mm. 12 gr.

1390-464

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel= II E/1, II E/3, II E/4, II E/201.

II E/321. 28× 27×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 465

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/322. 30× 30×11 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 466

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram walking to left. b) Undetermined impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter.

131

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/323. 35× 33×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 467

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing seven seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel.9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Fox? d) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Six pointed stars. e) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion with crescent. f) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile. g) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Rabbit in right profile.

II E/324. 31× 28×17 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 470

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing eight seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bee. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Fox? d) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Antelope walking to right. e) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. f) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile. The others impressions are illegible.

II E/325. 32× 32×16 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 473

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag crouching to right. b) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/193. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile.

132

Catalogue

II E/326. 35× 34×20 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 475

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281, II E/282, II E/283, II E/309, II E/310.

II E/327. 41× 40×16 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 478

Beige. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281, II E/282, II E/283, II E/309, II E/310, II E/326.

II E/328. 30× 29×13 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 477

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/329. 30× 29×13 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 479

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower.

II E/330. 37× 33×19 mm. 18 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter.

133

1390- 481

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/331. 38× 34×17 mm. 17 gr.

1390- 482

Grey, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Erased impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/332. 38× 34×17 mm. 17 gr.

1390- 483

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Cock in right profile. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird? c) Erased impression.

II E/333. 35× 32×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 486

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion? b) Erased impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II E/334. 35× 25×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 487

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Two birds facing each other. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. c) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. d) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Two figures facing each other.

II E/335. 31× 23×13 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 488

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Erased impression.

134

Catalogue

II E/336. 32× 31×13 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 490

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Erased impression.

II E/337. 31× 29×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 491

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Antelope. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal.

II E/338. 31× 28×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 495

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower in a border of pearls.

II E/339. 30× 29×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 502

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/338.

II E/340. 31× 29×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 496

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Six- pointed stars. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Plus in a circle.

II E/341. 32× 30×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 497

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. In the field at 3 o’clock, crescent.

135

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/342. 30× 27×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 498

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/193, II E/325b. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/343. 35× 30×15 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 499

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. In the field at 4 o’clock eight pointed stars.

II E/344. 32× 31×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 500

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral motif?

II E/345. 35× 32×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 501

Beige. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/346. 30× 28×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 509

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/345.

II E/347. 35 × 33×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390-503

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207, II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233, II E/235, II E/236, II E/237, II E/302.

136

Catalogue

II E/348. 32× 28×18mm. 13 gr.

1390- 504

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81, II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204.

II E/349. 32× 32×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 505

Beige. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Ramʼ s ? head.

II E/350. 30× 29×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 506

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/329.

II E/351. 23× 22×12 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 508

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag crouching to right. b) Erased impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/352. 35× 32×12 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 511

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Almost erased impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device?

II E/353. 33× 32×15 mm. 8 gr. Black- grey. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Erased impression.

137

1390- 512

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/354. 32× 29×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 516

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Erased impression of a convex bezel. Device.

II E/355. 28× 25×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 513

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head in right profile.

II E/356. 31×30×18 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 515

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a)Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135, II E/198, II E/199, II E/318, II E/319.

II E/357. 28× 27×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 517

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in a circle.

II E/358. 32× 32.5×17 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 518

Blackish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in a floral border. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird with crescent. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile. d) Erased impression of a flower motif.

138

Catalogue

II E/359. 28× 27×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 519

Brown. On back, bulla pierced by two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/360. 37× 35×19 mm. 21 gr.

1390- 520

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/361. 35 × 35×10 mm. 17 gr.

1390-521

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207,II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233, II E/235, II E/236, II E/237, II E/302, II E/347.

II E/362. 32× 32×9 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 523

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/363. 32× 28×11 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 524

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal walking to right.

139

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/364. 27× 24×8 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 527

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device in a border of dots. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal with elongated body walking to right.

II E/365. 30× 25×4 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 528

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing six seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird to left in a eightpointed star. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Rabbit. d) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. e) Impression of a undetermined motif on a lozenge-shaped bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. f) Undetermined impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel.

II E/366. 28× 27×8 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 530

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/367. 31× 30×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 546

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II E/366.

II E/368. 35× 29×16 mm. 11 gr. Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II E/366, II E/367.

140

1390- 610

Catalogue

II E/369. 31× 29×20 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 655

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II E/366, II E/367, II E/368.

II E/368. 48× 35×9 mm. 18 gr.

1390- 531

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head.

II E/369. 35× 28×30 mm. 67 gr.

1390- 533

Grey. Bulla bearing no stringholes and one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 17 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head in right profile.

II E/370. 35× 32×13 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 535

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel. 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/371. 34× 30×18 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 536

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head in a border of pearls.

II E/372. 32× 29×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 537

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter.

141

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/373. 30× 28×12 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 538

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel.8 mm at its greatest diameter. Two figures facing each other. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head in a right profile.

II E/374. 35 × 32 ×19 mm. 16 gr.

1390-540

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel= II E/1, II E/3, II E/4, II E/201, II E/320.

II E/375. 38 × 32 ×14 mm. 11 gr.

1390-541

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/265a, II E/297a, II E/316a, II E/317a. b) Erased impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/376. 28× 24×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 542

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel. Bird?

II E/377. 32×30×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 543

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135, II E/198, II E/199, II E/318, II E/319, II E/356.

142

Catalogue

II E/378. 30×28×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 672

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135, II E/198, II E/199, II E/318, II E/319, II E/356, II E/377.

II E/379. 22×21.5×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 689

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135, II E/198, II E/199, II E/318, II E/319, II E/356, II E/377, II E/378.

II E/380. 31× 18×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 544

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel. Bird in right profile.

II E/381. 32× 28×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 545

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Illegible impression of a convex bezel in a floral border.

II E/382. 36× 32×13 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 547

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼs head.

II E/383. 29× 25×13mm. 9 gr.

1390- 550

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348.

143

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/384. 28× 24×11 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 551

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined motif.

II E/385. 24× 23×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 554

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel. Device

II E/386. 27× 22×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 555

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Almost erased impression of a rectangular bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Device?

II E/387. 25× 22×11 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 560

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/338, II E/339.

II E/388. 28× 27×12 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 561

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag walking to right?

II E/389. 24× 21.5×14 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 563

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring.

144

Catalogue

II E/390. 30× 28×13 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 564

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/249.

II E/391. 30× 30×14 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 565

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal = II E/253, II E/279, II E/280.

II E/392. 30× 28×19 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 651

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal = II E/253, II E/279, II E/280, II E/391.

II E/393.

28 × 26×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 566

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/72.

II E/394.

25 × 22.5×14 mm. 4 gr

1390- 571

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/72, II E/393.

II E/395.

28.5 × 28×12 mm. 6 gr

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression = II E/72, II E/393, II E/394.

145

1390- 572

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/396.

28 × 25×12 mm. 6 gr

1390- 573

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression = II E/72, II E/393, II E/394, II E/395.

II E/397.

32 × 30×13 mm. 7 gr

1390- 578

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression = II E/72, II E/393, II E/394, II E/395, II E/396.

II E/398.

32 × 30×27 mm. 12 gr

1390- 613

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a ) Impression = II E/72, II E/393, II E/394, II E/395, II E/396, II E/397.

II E/399.

31 × 30×16 mm.12 gr.

1390- 575

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel in a lozenge-shaped setting, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring.

II E/400.

25 × 23×13 mm.5 gr.

1390- 576

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Almost illegible.

II E/401.

30 × 27×12 mm.5 gr.

1390- 579

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Crane in right profile. In the margin undetermined object, Pahlavi letter, H? b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Symbol.

146

Catalogue

II E/402. 31× 25×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 580

Brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/265a, II E/297a, II E/316a, II E/317a.

II E/403. 30× 29×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 582

Brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and sixpointed stars in a border of annulets.

II E/404. 28× 27×16 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 583

Brown, partly blackened.On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Symbol? in a border of pearls.

II E/405. 28× 27×15mm. 8 gr.

1390- 584

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel = II E/225.

II E/406. 33× 32×15mm. 8 gr.

1390- 595

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel = II E/225, II E/405.

II E/407. 32× 31×18mm. 12 gr. Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel = II E/225, II E/405, II E/406.

147

1390- 700

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/408. 28× 24×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 586

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/409. 29× 28×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 587

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal.8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. In the field at 10 oʼ clock, crescent.

II E/410. 31× 30×19 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 669

Brown .On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular seal = II E/409.

II E/411. 26× 25×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 590

Brown .On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/412. 30× 29×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 591

Dark grey .On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 4 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/413. 25.5× 23×17mm. 7 gr.

1390- 592

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions : a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Two birds facing each other. b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter.

148

Catalogue

II E/414. 32× 31×12mm. 8 gr.

1390- 593

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. The others are illegible.

II E/415. 28× 27×15mm. 9 gr.

1390- 594

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions : a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II E/416. 30× 29×14mm. 10 gr.

1390- 596

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/417. 26× 25×13mm. 6 gr.

1390- 597

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II E/418. 23× 17×12 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 599

Dark grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a broad groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/338, II E/339, II E/385.

II E/419. 37× 35×15 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 643

Beige- brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/338, II E/339, II E/387, II E/418.

149

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/420. 32× 30×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 647

Beige- brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/338, II E/339, II E/387, II E/418, II E/419.

II E/421. 28× 24×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 685

Beige- brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/338, II E/339, II E/387, II E/418, II E/419, II E/419, II /420.

II E/422. 25× 23×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 688

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/338, II E/339, II E/387, II E/418, II E/419, II E/420, II E/421.

II E/423. 29× 28×16 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 692

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impressions: a) Impression = II E/338, II E/339, II E/387, II E/418, II E/419, II E/420, II E/421, II E/422.

II E/424. 40× 38×18 mm. 23 gr.

1390- 603

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing five seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Winged bull. b) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/76b. c) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. The others are illegible

II E/425. 23× 22×18 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 604

Grey. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Antelope? to left.

150

Catalogue

II E/426. 28× 24×15 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 605

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Scorpion. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Ibex crouching to right.

II E/427. 40 × 39×19 mm. 20 gr.

1390-606

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207,II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233, II E/235, II E/236, II E/237, II E/302, II E/347, II E/361.

II E/428. 40 × 28×11 mm. 12 gr.

1390-622

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/116, II E/117, II E/206, II E/207,II E/228, II E/229, II E/230, II E/231, II E/232, II E/233, II E/235, II E/236, II E/237, II E/302, II E/347, II E/361, II E/427.

II E/429. 35× 32×16 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 611

Brown. On back, two broad stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II E/430. 38× 32×17 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 616

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/184, II E/185, II E/186, II E/247, II E/248.

151

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/431. 30× 25×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 619

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent and eight-pointed stars.

II E/432. 30× 29×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 620

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 13 mm at its greatest diameter. Figure in Hellenistic style in a floral border, holding a bird.

II E/433. 32× 31×11mm. 12 gr.

1390- 623

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281, II E/282, II E/283, II E/309, II E/310.

II E/434. 37× 35×10 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 630

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/435. 30× 29×18 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 648

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel = II E/434. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/436. 28× 24×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 632

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/193, II E/325b, II E/342.

152

Catalogue

II E/437. 31.5× 31×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 634

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348, II E/383.

II E/438. 34× 29×12 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 639

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348, II E/383, II E/437.

II E/439. 37× 35×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 641

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348, II E/383, II E/436, II E/437, II E/438.

II E/440. 28× 26×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 662

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348, II E/383, II E/436, II E/437, II E/438, II E/439.

II E/441. 32× 29×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 686

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348, II E/383, II E/436, II E/437, II E/438, II E/439, II E/440.

153

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/442. 29× 28×16 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 716

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348, II E/383, II E/436, II E/437, II E/438, II E/439, II E/440, II E/441.

II E/443. 34× 32×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 635

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Figure in right profile before bird.

II E/444. 29× 28×10 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 637

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in a floral border.

II E/445. 28× 22×18 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 640

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal? in left profile. b) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Fish.

II E/446. 35× 34×16 mm. 10 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 14 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

154

1390- 644

Catalogue

II E/447. 29× 28×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 645

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/448. 29× 27×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 646

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/449. 32× 32×17 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 649

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/450. 32× 30×8 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 650

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/451. 32× 30×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 656

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Dogʼs head. b) Illegible impression of a convex bezel, 4 mm at its greatest diameter.

II E/452. 29× 28×17 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 658

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/187, II E/188, II E/189, II E/190, II E/191.

155

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/453. 26× 24× 12 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 660

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile in a border of pearls.

II E/454. 32× 27× 12 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 661

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined.

II E/455. 28× 26× 13 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 668

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird with ring at beak.

II E/456. 23× 22× 12 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 670

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in a right profile.

II E/457. 35× 30× 17 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 671

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two broad stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Crane in right profile.

II E/458. 30× 28×16 mm. 10 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

156

1390- 673

Catalogue

II E/459. 28× 24× 16 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 675

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Turkey in right profile in a border of pearls.

II E/460. 30× 26×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 676

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent with sixpointed stars in a border of pearls.

II E/461. 28× 25×16 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 679

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag walking to right. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent with six- pointed stars? in a border of pearls.

II E/462. 25× 22×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 680

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/463. 34× 31×12 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 681

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion?

157

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/464. 28× 27×12 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 683

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. At 10 o’clock eight-pointed stars.

II E/465. 32× 30×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 684

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/434, II E/435. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/466. 32× 28×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 690

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right.

II E/467. 29× 28×13 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 691

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird?

II E/468. 25× 23.5×11 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 694

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10mm at its greatest diameter. Stag couchant to left. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter = IIE/324a.

158

Catalogue

II E/469. 30× 28×18 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 695

Beige. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with six-pointed stars at 10 oʼ clock.

II E/470. 29× 27×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 699

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased device motif. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Undetermined. Floral motif?

II E/471. 30× 29×12 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 701

Brown. Bulla pierced by two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile. At 9 o’clock crescent and at 3 o’clock undetermined object, maybe inscription.

II E/472. 26× 25×14 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 704

Brown. On back, two broad stringholes .Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring.

II E/473. 24× 22×7 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 723

Brown. On back, two broad stringholes .Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal = II E/472b. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird?

159

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/474. 35× 33×18 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 705

Brown. On back, two stringholes .Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile with ring at beak. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Crescent with eightpointed stars. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼs head. d) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal.

II E/475. 24× 22.5×9 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 721

Brown. On back, two stringholes .Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular seal = II E/474a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Erased figure motif.

II E/476. 34 × 32 ×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390-707

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel= II E/1, II E/3, II E/4, II E/201, II E/320, II E/374.

II E/477. 34× 31×23 mm. 17 gr.

1390- 709

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/471a. b) Impression of a rectangular seal, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼ s head in a border of pearls.

II E/478. 34× 31×22 mm. 27 gr. Grey. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. b) Erased impression.

160

1390- 710

Catalogue

II E/479. 35× 32×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 711

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼs head in right profile.

II E/480. 31× 28×18 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 712

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Fragmentary Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression = II E/122, II E/123, II E/131, II E/132, II E/133, II E/134, II E/135, II E/198, II E/199, II E/318, II E/319, II E/356, II E/377, II E/378, II E/379.

II E/481. 29× 21×17 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 713

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes .Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Flower with crescent.

II E/482. 25× 24×14 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 717

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/483. 55× 45×9 mm. 25 gr.

1390- 728

Beige. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in right profile. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

II E/484. 35× 28×7 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 735

Dark beige. On back, two stringholes .Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 14 mm at its greatest diameter. Device with sixpointed stars at 3 oʼ clock and crescent at 9 oʼ clock. b) Fragmentary impression.

161

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/485. 30× 28×12 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 737

Brown. On back, two stringholes .Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 14 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird flying to right.

II E/486. 25× 23×5 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 739

Brown. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Ram? couchant to right.

II E/487. 25× 23×8 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 740

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Horse in right profile. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Device with crescent at 2 o’clock and at 8 o’clock eight-pointed stars.

II E/488. 35× 30×16 mm. 13 gr.

1390- 741

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right with undetermined element at 10 oʼ clock. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal?

II E/489. 28× 25×15 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 742

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348, II E/383, II E/436, II E/437, II E/438, II E/439, II E/440, II E/441, II E/442.

162

Catalogue

II E/490. 32× 23×17 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 744

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/491. 30× 26×10 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 746

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/434, II E/435, II E/465a. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal walking to right. a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/193, II E/325b, IIE/342.

II E/492. 35× 33×19 mm. 17 gr.

1390- 752

Brown, partly blackened. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Boarʼs head.

II E/493. 31.5× 30×16 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 755

Beige, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

II E/494. 32× 26×14 mm. 9 gr. Brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Fragmentary impression of a convex bezel, motif? in a border of pearls.

163

1390- 756

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/495. 28× 27.5×15 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 757

Dark brown, partly blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/458.

II E/496. 36× 34×18. 14 gr.

1390- 758

Beige. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/218, II E/219, II E/220, II E/221, II E/281, II E/282, II E/283, II E/309, II E/310, II E/326, II E/327.

II E/497. 30× 28×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 759

Brown. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element.

II E/498. 35× 34.5×18 mm. 19 gr.

1390- 760

Brown. On back, two broad stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel= II E/334.

II E/499. 25× 23.5×6 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 763

Dark brown, blackened. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/499a. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

164

Catalogue

II E/500. 25× 26×7 mm. 4 gr.

1390- 764

Brown. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to left. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion couchant to right and crescent at 11 oʼ clock.

II E/501. 25× 23×11 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 766

Dark brown, blackened. On back, two broad stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag crouching to left. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile.

II E/502. 40× 37.5×12 mm. 20 gr.

1390- 767

Beige brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing five seal impressions: a) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. c) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Figure. d) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Fish. e) Erased impression.

II E/503. 26× 20×10 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 768

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel = II E/225, II E/405, II E/406, II E/407.

II E/504. 28× 25×5 mm. 3 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

165

1390- 769

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/505. 32× 30×9 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 770

Brown, blackened. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 11 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal. b) Erased impression.

II E/506. 28× 28×14 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 771

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Symbol or cross?

II E/507. 33× 31×13 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 773

Brown, blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing four seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/458, II E/495. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 5 mm at its greatest diameter. Stag walking to right. d) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Animal?

II E/508. 33× 32×14 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 775

Grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression= II E/78, II E/79, II E/80, II E/81,II E/82, II E/83, II E/84, II E/85, II E/86, II E/141, II E/152, II E/153, II E/154, II E/155, II E/201, II E/203, II E/204, II E/348, II E/383, II E/436, II E/437, II E/438, II E/439, II E/440, II E/441, II E/442.

II E/509. 30× 25×15 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 776

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing three seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. c) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

166

Catalogue

II E/510. 25× 24.5 ×15 mm. 7 gr.

1390- 777

Grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Scorpion?

II E/511. 30× 26 ×13 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 778

Grey. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/477. b) Fragmentary impression.

II E/512. 28× 19 ×19 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 779

Grey. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in a boarder of pearls.

II E/513. 27× 26 ×13 mm. 6 gr.

1390- 783

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression : a) Impression of a convex bezel = II A/109b.

II E/514. 32× 30 ×14 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 784

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/443.

167

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/515. 40× 35 ×18 mm. 14 gr.

1390- 787

brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/443, II E/512.

II E/516. 28× 25×15 mm. 8 gr.

1390- 788

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing six seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Horse couchant to right. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion. c) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Lion. d) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Horse couchant to left with floral element in the field. e) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird in left profile. f) Illegible impression.

II E/517. 35× 32×18 mm. 16 gr.

1390- 789

Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel = II E/506.

II E/518. 25× 23×11 mm. 5 gr.

1390- 790

Dark grey. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Illegible impression.

II E/519. 41× 35×21 mm. 24 gr.

1390- 793

Brown. On back, two stringholes and mark of a groove. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Device.

168

Catalogue

II E/520. 31× 28×15 mm. 10 gr.

1390- 794

Dark brown, blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 12 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in a border of pearls.

II E/521. 30× 28×15 mm. 9 gr.

1390- 795

Dark brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 10 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Four dots in a circular shape.

II E/522. 33× 30×14 mm. 12 gr.

1390- 796

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Cock in right profile. b) Illegible impression.

II E/523. 37× 32×15 mm. 15 gr.

1390- 797

Brown, blackened. On back, two stringholes. Bulla bearing one seal impression: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in a border of pearls.

II E/524. 32× 30×15 mm. 11 gr. Brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing two seal impressions: a) Impression of a lozenge-shaped bezel = II A/12b, II A/102b. b) Impression of a rectangular bezel, 9 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird.

169

1390- 798

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum

II E/525. 38× 35×9 mm. 11 gr.

1390- 800

Reddish brown. On back, two stringholes. Bullae bearing ten seal impressions: a) Impression of a convex bezel, 8 mm at its greatest diameter. Boar’s head in a border of pearls. b) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Floral element. c) Impression of a rectangular seal, 6 mm at its greatest diameter. Device. d) Impression of a convex bezel, 7 mm at its greatest diameter. Bird. The others are illegible.

170

9 References

the Late-Uruk to the Proto-Elamite period at Susa. In U. Finkbeiner, W. Röllig (eds.), Jamdat Nasr: Period or Regional Style? Tubinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients (TAVO). Series B. Dr Ludwig Reichert Verlag. Wiesbaden, pp. 332–366.

ALGAZE, G., 2008, Ancient Mesopotamia at the dawn of civilization: the evolution of an urban landscape, Chicago, University of Chicago Press. ALIZADEH, A., 1988, Socio-economic complexity in southwestern Iran during the fifth and fourth millennia B.C.: the evidence from Tall-i Bakun A, Iran 26: 17–34.

FIANDRA, E., 1981, The connection between clay sealings and tablets in administration, in: H. Härtel (ed.), South Asian Archaeology 1979, Berlin, pp. 29–43.

ALRAM, M and GYSELAN, R., 2003, Sylloge nummorum Sasanidarum: Paris, Berlin, Wien, 7 vols. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.

FRAHVASHI, B., 1967, Pahlavi dictionary, Tehran, Iranian Cultural Foundation Publication.

AZARPAY, G., 2003, Bullae from the Pahlavi Archive at the University of California, Berkeley, Ērān ud Anērān: studies presented to Boris Ilich Marshak, Matteo Compareti, Paola Raffetta, Gianroberto Scarcia, (eds.), Buenos Aires.Online at: www.transoxiana.com.ar/Eran/ index.html.

FRANGIPANE, M., FERIOLI, P., FIANDRA, E. and FISSORE, G.G. (eds.), 1994, Archives before writing: Proceedings of the International Colloquium, Oriolo Roano, October 23–25, 1991, Roma: Centro Internazionale di Ricerche Archeologiche, Antropologiche e Stroriche.

BIVAR, A.D.H., 1969, Catalogue of the Western Asiatic seals in the British Museum stamp seals II: The Sasanian Dynasty, London, British Museum.

FRANGIPANE, M., 2007, Different types of egalitarian societies and the development of inequality in early Mesopotamia. World Archaeology, 39 (2), 151–176.

–, 1982, Seal-impressions of Parthian Qūmis, Iran, 20: 161–176.

FRYE, R., 1964, Symbols, monograms and devices in ancient Iran, in J.M. Unvala Memorial Volume, Bombay, pp. 181–184.

BORISOV, A.J. and LUKONIN, V.G., 1963, Sasanidskie Gemmy, Leningrad.

–, 1968, Sasanian clay sealings in the collection of Mohsen Foroughi, Iranica Antiqua, VIII: 118–132.

BRIANT, P. 1997, Bulletin d’histoire achéménide (I)”, TOPOI, Suppl. 1: 5–127.

–, 1973, Sasanian remains from Qasr-i Abu Nasr: seals, sealing and coins, Cambridge, Harvard University Press.

BRUNNER, C., 1978, Sasanian stamp seals in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

–, 1974, Sasanian seal and sealing, in: Gignoux, P. and Tafazzoli, A. (eds.), Memorial Jean de Menase, LovainTehran, pp. 155–161.

–, 1983, Geographical and administrative divisions: settlements and economy, in: Yarshater, E. (ed.), The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. 3 (2):747- 777.

GARRISON, M.B., and ROOT, M.C., 2001, Seals on the Persepolis fortification tablets, part 1: images of heroic encounter, Chicago.

COLLON, D., 1987, First impression cylinder seals in the Ancient Near East, London, British Museum. DARYAEE, T., 2009, Sasanian Persia: The rise and fall of an Empire, London, Tauris.

GIGNOUX, P., 1980, Sceaux chrétien d’époque Sasanide. Iranica Antiqua 15: 299–314.

–, 1997, The Use of religio-political propaganda on the coinage of Xusro II, American Journal of Numismatics 9, Second Series, New York, The American Numismatic Society.

GIGNOUX, P. and GYSELEN, R., 1982, Sceaux Sasanides de diverses collections privees, Cahiers de Studia Iranica, 1. Leuven: Peeters. GÖBL, R., 1971, Sasanian numismatics, Braunschweig, Klinkhardt and Biermann.

DEBEVOISE, N., 1934, The essential characteristics of Parthian and Sasanian Glyptic Art, Berytus.

–, 1976, Die Tonbullen vom Tacht-e Suleiman, Berlin.

DITTMAN, R., 1986, Seals, sealings and tablets: thoughts on the changing pattern of administrative control from

171

Sasanian Clay Sealings in the Bandar Abbas Museum GYSELEN, R., 1989, La Geographie administrative de L’Empire Sassanide–les temoignages sigillographiques, Res Orientales I, Paris.

–, 2009b, Animal headdresses on the sealings of the Bactrian documents, in: Iranica 17, Exegisti Monumenta: Festschrift in Honor of Nicholas SimsWilliams, Weisbaden, 2009, pp. 215–227.

–, 1993, Catalogue des sceaux, camées et bulles Sassanides de la bibliothèque nationale et du musée du Louvre I. collection générale, Paris.

LUKONIN, V.G., 1983, Political, social and administrative institutions: taxes and trade, in: Cambridge history of Iran, Vol. II, Cambridge University Press, pp. 681–746.

–, 1995, Les sceaux des mages de l’Iran Sassanide, au carrefour des religions: mélanges offerts à Philippe Gignoux [Res Orientales no VII], Bures- surYvette,GECMO:121–150.

MACUCH, M., 1981, Das Sasanidische rechtsbuch mātakdān i hazār dātistān (Teil II), Wiesbaden. MACKENZIE, D. N., 1971, A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, Oxford University Press.

–, 1997, Economy IV in the Sasanian period, Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. VIII, pp. 104–107.

MESSINA, V., 2006, Seleucia al Tigri. L’edificio degli archivi. lo scavo e le fasi architettoniche (Monografie di Mesopotamia, VIII, Missione Italiana in Iraq, III), Prefazione di A. Invernizzi, Firenze.

–, 2001, The four generals of the Sasanian Empire: some sigillographic evidence. Rome: Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente. –, 2002, Nouveaux matériaux pour la géographie administrative de lʼ Empire Sassanide: sceaux administratifs de la collection Ahmad Saeedi, Paris, Association pour lʾAvancement des Etudes Iraniennes.

MANASSERO, N., 2010, Tamga-like images on sealings from old Nisa, Parthica, 12: 17–29. MOLLO, P., 2001, Le sigillature di Nisa Vecchia, Parthica, 13: 159–210.

–, 2007, Sasanian seals and sealings in the A. Saeedi collection, Acta Iranica, Vol. 44, Leuven.

MORONY, M., 1982, Continuity and change in the administrative geography of late Sasanian and early Islamic al- Irāq, Iran, 20: 1–49.

–, 2009, Primary sources and historiography on the Sasanian Empire, Studia Iranica, 38: 163–190.

NIKITIN, A. B., GUBAEV, A. G., and LOGINOV, S. D., 1996, Sasanian bullae from the excavations of AKDEPE, Iran, 34: 55–59.

HARPER, P. 1973, See: Frye (ed.) 1973. HENKELMAN, W. 2013, Administrative realities: The Persepolis Archives and the archaeology of the Achaemenid, The Oxford Handbook of Iranian Archaeology, Oxford, pp. 528–46.

NISSEN, H.J., DAMEROW, P., and ENGLUND, R., 1993, Archaic bookkeeping: early writing and techniques of economic administration in the Ancient Near East, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.

HUFF, D., 1987, Technological observations on clay bullae from Takht-i Suleyman, Mesopotamia, 22: 367–390. INVERNIZZI, A., 1968, Bullae Mesopotamia, III and IV: 69–124.

from

PERIKHANIAN, A., 1997, The book of a thousand judgments (A Sasanian Law-Book), translated by Nina Garsoian, Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers.

Seleucia,

KAPTAN, D. 2002, The Daskyleion bullae: seal images from the western Achaemenid Empire, 2 Vols. Leiden, AchHist 12.

PITTMAN, H., 1994, Towards an understanding of the role of glyptic imagery in the administrative systems of protoliterate greater Mesopotamia, in: P., Ferioli, E. Fiandra, G. G., Fissore and M., Frangipane (eds.), Archives before writing, Proceedings of the International Colloquium, Oriolo Romano, Oct. 23–25, 1991, Rome, Scriptorium, pp. 177–203.

KESSLER, K., 1984, Eine arsakidenzeitliche Urkunde aus Warka (W 18568), Bagdader Mitteilungen, Vol, 15, pp. 273–281.

–, 1997, The administrative function of glyptic art in proto– Elamite Iran: a survey of the evidence, Sceaux d’orient et leur employ, Res Orientales, Vol. X, pp. 133 – 153.

KETTENHOFEN, E., 1996, Dvin, Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. VII, pp. 616–619.

–, 2001, Mesopotamian intraregional relations reflected through glyptic evidence in the late Chalcolithic 1–5 periods, in: M., Rothman (ed.), Uruk Mesopotamia and its neighbors: cross–cultural interactions and their consequence in the era of state formation, Santafe, SAR Press, pp. 403–443.

JAM, P., 2007, Shahre Ram- Piruz va Shahre Padar- Piruz, masale mohrha va motone tarikhi, Bastan Pazhohi, 4: 82–88.

LABBAF, M., 2008, Jografiyaye Edarie Neishabour dar dore Sassani, Unpublished M.A Dissertation, Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran. LERNER, J., 2009a, An aspect of Jewish culture under the Sasanians, Journal of the American Oriental Society 129 (4): 653–664.

POSTGATE, N., 2005, New angles on early writing, Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 15 (2): 275–280.

172

References RAHBAR, M. 2008, The discovery of a Sasanian period fire temple at Bandiyan, Dargaz, in D. Kennet and P. Luft (eds.) Current research in Sasanian archaeology, art and history, Oxford, BAR Publishing, pp. 15–40.

YARSHATER, E., 1983, Cambridge history of Iran (from the Sulukids to the Sasanian collapse, Vol. III, Cambridge University Press. ZETTLER, R.L., 1987, Sealings as artifacts of institutional administration in ancient Mesopotamia, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, 39: 197–241.

RASHAD, M., 1990, Die entwicklung der vor- und frühgeschichtlichen stampsiegel in Iran, Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran Ergänzungs, band 13. Berlin. RAZMJOU, S., 2004, The Lan ceremony and other ritual ceremonies in the Achaemenid period: the Persepolis fortification tablets, Iran, 42: 103–17. RUBIN, Z., 1995, The reforms of Khusrow Anurshiwan, in: A. Cameron (ed.), The Byzantine and early Islamic Near East III, states, resources and armies, Princeton, NJ: Darwin Press, pp. 227–98. SCHIPPMANN, K., 1990, Grundzüge der geschichte des Sasanidischen reiches, Darmstadt, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. SCHMANDT-BESSERAT, D., 1996, How came writing about?, Austin, University of Texas Press. –, 2009, Tokens and writing: the cognitive development, Scripta 1: 145–154. SHAKI, M. 1992. Class system: in the Parthian and Sasanian period, Iranica Encyclopedia, Vol. V, pp. 652– 658. SHEPHERD, D., 1983, Sasanian art, Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. III, Cambridge University Press pp. 1055– 1112. SIMS-WILLIAMS, N., 2008, The Sasanians in the east, a Bactrian archive from northern Afghanistan, in: Curtis, V.S. and S. Stewart, S., (eds.), The Idea of Iran Vol. III: The Sasanian era, London: I.B. Tauris, pp. 88–103. STOLPER, M.W., 1985, Entrepreneurs and Empire, the Murašû Archive, the Murašû firm, and Persian rule in Babylonia, Istanbul. –, 2009, KADAGISTĀN, Iranica Encyclopedia, Vol. XV, pp. 324–325. UNVALA, J.M., 1953, Sasanian seals and Sasanian monograms, in M.P Khareghat Memorial Vol. I, Bombay, pp. 44–74. WENKE, R.J., 1981, Elymeans, Parthians and the evolution of Empires in southwestern Iran, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 101 (3): 303–315. WIESEHÖFER, J., 1994, Das antike Persien, von 550 v. Chr. bis 650 n. Chr., Düsseldorf. WRIGHT, H. and GREGORY, J., 1975, Population, exchange and early state formation in Southwestern Iran, American Anthropology, 77: 267–89. WUNSCH, C., 2000, Das Egibi-Archiv. I. Felder und Gärten (Cuneiform Monographs 20A), Groningen.

173