Getty Museum

Amygdaloid engraved seal

Date

1700–1450 B.C.

Medium

Amethyst

Culture

Greek (Minoan)

Department

Jewelry

Institution

Getty Museum

The image of an octopus on this amygdaloid (almond-shaped) engraved seal appears to be floating in the water. Four of its eight legs are readily discernible and complete with suckers. The ancient engraver has organized the composition to fill the oval field of the stone.Minoan craftsmen carved seals from stone, ivory, and other precious materials. When pressed into soft clay or wax, the engraved seals produced relief images. Such impressions were employed as signatures on documents, and to seal pots and other containers as a way to guarantee or label their contents. Simple designs decorated the earliest seals, while later examples show detailed pictorial compositions. Two of the most common types are amygdaloid and lentoid (lens-shaped). Although stones found locally, such as hematite, carnelian, steatite, agate, and jasper were commonly used, seals were also produced from exotic materials, such as amethyst, lapis lazuli, and hippopotamus ivory.

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