This sealing presents three impressions. The first impression shows a stag; the second, with the toponym inscription decorated with nine dots, is only attested in two instances; the third impression can be identified as a ram.

These small clay objects played a role in Sasanian administrative practices. A piece of clay was pressed around a cord to close a document or package and then stamped with a seal. In some cases, these removed sealings seem to have been deliberately stored for administrative purposes.

A large collection of sealings have been found at Takht-e-Sulaiman and Qasr-e Abu Nasr in Iran. In Qasr-i Abu Nasr, 505 clay sealings were found in two storage rooms. Sealing F1993.15.67 was probably perforated and suspended from a cord. From the sealings found at Qasr-i Abu, we know that small sealings had as little as one impression, while the majority of the large sealings had more than three, and one had more than 20 impressions.

Inscription: hwn'n mgwh ld / hūnān mow ray
Translation: Mow of Hūnān, Ray

Translation and text contribution provided by Touraj Daryaee and Kiarash Gholami

References:

Brunner, Christopher J. 1978. Sasanian Stamp Seals in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Gignoux, Philippe. 1978. Catalogue des sceaux, camées et bulles sasanides de la Bibliothèque Nationale et du Musée du Louvre. Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale.

Göbl, Robert. 1973. Der Sāsānidische Siegelkanon. Braunschweig: Klinkhardt & Biermann.

Gyselen, Rika. 2002. Nouveaux Matériaux pour la Géographie Historique de l'Empire Sassanide: Sceaux Administratifs de la Collection Ahmad Saeedi. Paris: Assoc. pour l'Avancement des Études Iraniennes, 2002.

Frye, Richard Nelson. 1973. Sasanian Remains from Qasr-i Abu Nasr: Seals, Sealings, and Coins. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.