Monografie di

M E S O P O T A M I A

XIV
Un impaziente desiderio
di scorrere il mondo
Studi in onore di Antonio Invernizzi
per il suo settantesimo compleanno

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?1TUJV
 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH
Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”
Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), Tehran
A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS PRESERVED
IN THE TAKIYA-E MOʿĀVEN AL-‐MOLK OF KERMANSHAH1
In 2004 a local court in Sahneh, a town in Kerman-
shah province in western Iran, informed one of the
current authors that some antiquities were discovered
in the possession of a smuggler. Among these items,
there were a number of clay sealings dating from the
Sasanian period. Unfortunately the smuggler was killed
in an accident. Therefore, it is now impossible to obtain
further information about the exact location where
the sealings were found and about the details of the
discovery. After some bureaucracy, these items were
transferred to the treasury of the Takiya-e Moʿāven
al-Molk2 in Kermanshah.
As well known to all, a relatively great number of
clay sealings dating from the Sasanian era have been
discovered at various Sasanian sites such as Takht-e
Suleiman, Qasr-e Abu Nasr, Bandian, Susa, Bishapur,
Tepe Kabudan, Turang Tepe etc. A perhaps greater
number has been recovered in illegal excavations and
sold on the antique marked, finding its way into private
collections, though in recent years a significant number
has been recovered from smugglers by police bodies.
Though a few sealings had been discovered during the
excavation at Kangavar, the Takiya collection is the
largest collection of Sasanian bullae that has been so
far found in Kermanshah.
The collection in its entirety includes forty nine
sealings, the majority of which is made of buff to
light grey colored tempered clay, resembling potter’s
clay, though a few specimens are made from reddish
clay, and a small fraction from coarse, friable clay
with organic particles. A number of clay sealings were
seemingly rolled between the thumb, the index and
middle fingers into a roughly cone-shaped lump, other
presents a flatter, slightly convex and roughly discoid
shape. Thumb and fingerprints and cracks are clearly
detectable on the sides of most sealings, especially at
pressure points around the face of the sealings which
bears the seal impression. The back of the sealings are
often slightly concave with either a smooth surface,
or carrying the impression either of creased leather
or of the grid pattern of the closured goods to which
they were attached. Physical observations show that
the sealings were obviously attached to documents or
parcels, as well as to the leather string or cord used to
secure them, as is evident from the presence of holes
left by cord or from traces of cords on the reverse
side of the sealings. The collection contains quite a
few small sealings carrying only one impression, a
significant number of sealings presenting two to six
seal impressions and a large one bearing eighteen small
impressions, though it should be taken into account
that many sealings are fragmentary and once carried
more impressions than what now attested. All in all a
wide variety of shapes is attested: round, oval, square,
rectangular and rhomboidal3.
By far the most remarkable among the impres-
sions are the two belonging to the seals of two differ-
ent Spāhbeds. The first one, belongs probably to the
Hazārbed Wistaxm, Spāhbed of the West, though a great
part of the first line of the inscription, bearing among
others the name of the General, is completely missing
on this impression. Just as on the other impression
taken from this seal, the term for West is written hwlʾlʾn
(xwarārān), possibly a later development of xwarwarān
1
The collection was identified by Y. Moradi, who also obtained
permission to photograph and publish it and provided archaeological
and stylistic information, photos and catalogue are due to C. G. Cereti,
who also read the inscriptions together with C. Nasrollazadeh.
2
We wish to express our gratitude to Kermanshah Cultural Herit-‐
age Organization for giving us permission to carry out a study on
this collection, and also to Mr. Norolla Karimi, who is responsible
of the treasury in the Kermanshah museum for his kind coopera-‐
tion. The Takiya (mourning place) of Moʿāven-‐al-‐Molk is located
in the old district of the city, in Ābšurān neighborhood on Hadād
ʾĀdel Street. It is one of the noticeable and important monuments
in Kermanshah dating to the Qajar period and consists of three
separate parts, the Hosseiniya, the Zainabiya, and the ʿAbbāsiya.
The monument is known for its dramatic and colorful tile-‐mosaic
panels, which depict religious stories and their principal religious,
historical, and political protagonists. At the bottom of a picture
depicting the mourning ceremony for Ašraf al-‐Wāʿezin (a famous
clergyman) in the southern wall of the Hosseiniya, there are verses
describing the building and the date of its construction. The po-‐
ems were composed by the poet Wāla Kermānšāhi and the date
reported is 1336 AH. This building was mainly constructed to the
order of Hossein Ḫān Moʾin al-‐Raʾāyā. It was partially destroyed
in 1909 by enemies of its patron. In 1912, the building was bought
by Hassan Ḫān Moʿāven al-‐Molk, who renovated it, adding two new
components, a Zainabiya and an ʿAbbāsiya, to the Takiya. During
the Iran-‐Iraq war, the building was partially destroyed, and was
subsequently renovated post-‐war. Today a museum of ethnology
and local costumes is housed in Moʿāven-‐al-‐Molk’s Takiya.
3
On the physical characteristics of Sasanian seals and clay seal-‐
ings see with much more details GYSELEN 2007, 18-‐28.
210 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI
due to the influence of hwlʾsʾn (xwarāsān)4. The frag-
mentary Spāhbed impression5 belongs to a General of
the East, more specifically to Čihr-Burzēn.
Other than the two impressions belonging to the
seal of a Spāhbed, eight of the sealings kept in this
collection carry an administrative seal impression. One
is illegible, one belongs to an Ōstāndār and five to
different Āmārgars; all of the identified offices are
previously attested.
The impression of a seal belonging to the Ōstāndār
of Nīsā is twice found in the Saeedi collection, be-
ing the only office attested for this Ōstān, though the
identification with the town of Nīsā remains to be
proven (cf. GYSELEN 2002, 162). Four district served
by different Āmārgars can be identified, these are:
1) Abzūd-husraw and Šahr-winnārd-yazdegard; 2)
Šahr-pādār-pērōz and Armen; 3) Ērān-abzūd-husraw,
*Nasīnā, Arwāyestān and *Arzōn; and 4) Garmīgān
and Nōd-ardašīragān, the latter reading being doubt-
ful6. The fifth impression belonging to an Āmārgar,
being very worn, does not allow the identification of
any toponym7.
Impressions of private seals represent the great ma-
jority of those found in the Kermanshah collection. Dif-
ferent typologies are found. By far the most widespread
are animal images, since we have ten impressions bear-
ing birds (10m, 10p, 10q, 11c, 14c, 26a (two facing
birds), 31a, 37a, 40b and 41a), nine lions (9c, 13b,
21a, 24a, 30a, 34a, 38a, 39b and 47a), eight bear/boar
heads (4c, 10h, 10i, 10o, 15a, 16a, 29a, 36a), four
rams (3b, 5b, 11a and 43a), three deer (11b, 20a and
48a), two cocks (14a and 35a), one elephant (25a)
and one ibex (7b). Four undistinguishable animals
- CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH
are also found, all on sealing no. 10, which carries
eighteen small seal impressions (10a, 10d, 10e and
10f). Eleven monograms are attested in this collection
(4b, 14b,14d, 17a, 22a, 33a, 39a, 40a, 44a, 44b and
46a), to which one may add two impressions bearing
an inscription (13c and 43b). Human representations
are quite rare; other than the two Spāhbeds, we are
left with one male bust (9b) and an almost illegible
female standing figure (17b). Other motifs present are
a Gōbedšāh (13a), four devices, all found on sealing
no. 10 (10i, 10j, 10k and 10r), to which one should
possibly add the unclear abstract device 27b, two small
impressions bearing a star above a moon crescent (32a
and 45a), the impression of a flower (10b) and that
of a small treasury symbol (27a)8.
4
Sealing No. 1, cat. 1887. See GYSELEN 2001, 42 and 2007,
268-‐269 (type 3a). Notably the other preserved seal impression of
a General of the West shows the spelling hwlplʾn. BMP has hwl(ʾ)
wplʾn’ (xwarōfrān) and hwlwlʾn’ or hwlblʾn’, (both xwarwarān,
cf. MACKENZIE 1971, 96). BMP xwarōfrān, derives from *xwar-
aafrāna-­ (CHEUNG 2007, 293) rather than from a form °nifrāna-­ as
Bktr. μιυροναφρανο, μιρονιφρανο, (< miθra-­nifrāna-­) etc. and
MPth. hwrnyfrʾn, see S IMS -‐W ILLIAMS 2000 and 205, 2007, 234.
Manichaean Middle Persian evidence is in this respect less homoge-‐
nous, preserving both xwrnwʾr and xwrprʾn in the meaning of “west”
and xwrwprʾn “evening” (DURKIN-‐MEISTERERNST 2004, 369).
Sealing No. 2, cat. 1888. Cf. GYSELEN 2001, 35; Idem, 2007,
5
248-‐251 (type 1a).
6
GYSELEN 2002, 126-‐127 and 173-‐174; 131-‐134 and 172-‐173;
140-‐142, 161-‐162 and 134-‐137; 145-‐146 and 162-‐163 respectively.
7
See plate n. 1.
8
A selection of private glyptics, divided by subjects, is found
in plates 2-‐8.
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 211

CATALOGUE 9

Cat. no. 1887.

1) Sealing bearing one large impression of an armored
horseman (Cat. no. 1887; see also Tav. 2b).
a)   Spāhbed; inscription on two lines, line one 5-‐10h,
line two 4-‐10h.
1. <ws>(t)<hm ZY hcʾlpty W> (hwyt)khwslwdy
(LB)<Ay ʾylʾn>
2. kwsty ZY hwlʾlʾn spʾhpty
Wistaxm  ī  hazārbed  ud  hujadag-­Husraw  wuzurg  Ērān  
kust  ī  Xwarārān  spāhbed
“Wistaxm the hazārbed and “well omened Husraw”,
grandee, general of the region of the west of Iran”
GYSELEN 2001, 42 and 2007, 268-‐269 (type 3a), see
further note 2.
Ø Bulla 6.3 x 2.3 cm.

Cat. no. 1888.

2) Fragmentary sealing bearing one large impression of an
armored horseman (Cat. no. 1888; see also Tav. 2b).
a)   Spāhbed; inscription on two lines, line one 4-‐2h,
line two 5-‐2h.
1. <ctl>(b)<bwl>(cyn)<y ZY…pty W hwytkhwslwdy
LBAy>
2. ʾylʾn kwst<y ZY hwlʾsʾn spʾhpty>
Cihrburzēn   ī   <…>bed   ud   hujadag-­Husraw   wuzurg   museum, a description of the seal impressions found on each sealing
Ērān  kust  ī  Xwarāsān  spāhbed
“Cihrburzēn (…) and “well omened Husraw”, grandee,
general of the region of the east of Iran”
GYSELEN 2001, 35; Idem, 2007, 248-‐251 (type 1a).
Ø Bulla 5.8 x 2.6 cm.
9
For each entry we have provided the register number of the
and the dimensions of the object.
212 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1889.

3) Fragmentary sealing bearing two impressions, one of b) Ram to right.
which belonging to an administrative seal (Cat. no. 1889) Ø bulla 4.7 x 2.1
a) Illegible administrative seal impression.

Cat. no. 1890.

4) Fragmentary sealing bearing six seal impressions, A b z ū d -­ h u s r a w   ā m ā rg a r   < …   Š a h r-­ w i n n ā rd -­

among which one belonging to the seal of an Āmārgar yazdegard>
(Cat. no. 1890). Cf. GYSELEN 2002, 40, fig. 4 and 173-‐174; Idem, 2007,
a) Āmārgar 130-‐132.
Inscription on three lines and on the rim. b) Monogram.
1. ʾpzwt c) Bear head to right.
2. hwslwdy d) Illegible (tree ?).
3. (ʾmlkly) e) Illegible (bird ?).
Rim 4-‐11h: <…> (ʾ)lt yzdklty, followed by four vis-‐ f) Illegible (fragment).
ible annulets. Ø bulla 6.2 x 2.5

Cat. no. 1891.

5) Sealing bearing two seal impressions among which one a)  Ōstāndār ; inscription on one line at the center and
belonging to an Ōstāndār   (Cat. no. 1891). then on the rim 7-‐12h. Below the main inscription a
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 213

moon crescent to right. Cf. GYSELEN 2002, 70, fig. 45 and 162; Idem 2007,
1. nys 226.
Rim 7-‐12h: ny<sʾ ʾ>wstʾnd(ʾ)l, followed by six annu-‐ b) Beribboned ram standing to right facing a flower.
lets. At 7h a letter p.
Nīsā  ōstāndār Ø bulla 5.1 x 2.3

Cat. no. 1892.

6) Fragmentary sealing bearing the seal impression of an 4. W ʾlmny

Āmārgar (Cat. no. 1892). Rim 5-‐1h: (ʾ)mʾlkly
a) Āmārgar; inscription on four lines at the center on Šahr-­pādār-­pērōz  ud  Armen  Āmārgar
the rim. Cf. GYSELEN 2002, 43, fig. 22 and 172-‐173; Idem, 2007,
1. štl 164-‐166.
2. pʾtʾl Ø 4.1 x 1.8
3. pylwcy

Cat. no. 1893.

7) Fragmentary sealing bearing four visible seal impres-‐ Cf. GYSELEN 2002, 40 fig. 2 and 140-‐142; Idem, 2007,
sions among which that of an Āmārgar   (Cat. no. 1893). 134-‐138.
a) Āmārgar; inscription on five lines and on the rim. c) Ibex walking to right, crescent at 9h; device at 3h.
1. ylʾn ʾp<zwty> d) Illegible.
2. hwslwd<y> e) Illegible.
3. W nsynʾ10 Ø 5.4 x 3.0.
4. W ʾlwys<tn>
5. W ʾlc<wn>
On the rim, 5-‐3h: ʾmʾlkl, followed by four visible an-‐
nulets.
Ērān-­abzūd-­Husraw   ud   *Nasīnā   ud   Arwāyestān   ud   10
Gyselen loc. cit. prefers to read nysnʾ; less probable, but not
*Arzōn  Āmārgar impossible is a reading nsynwn.
214 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1894.

8) Fragmentary sealing bearing two seal impressions Rim 7-‐5h: (ʾ)mʾlkly followed by 8 visible annulets.
among which that of an Āmārgar    (Cat. no. 1894) To be identified with the Garmīgān  ud  Nōd-­Ardašīragān  
a)   Āmārgar , very worn out, bearing an inscription on Āmārgar, for which see GYSELEN 2002, 41, fig. 10, 145-‐
three lines and on the rim. 146 and 162-‐163; Idem, 2007, 142-‐143.
1. (gl)<…> Illegible Ø 1.3
2. <…t> Ø 4.1 x 1.7
3. (hštlkʾn)

Cat. no. 1895.

9) Fragmentary sealing bearing three seal impressions mad

among which that of an Āmārgar  (?) (Cat. no. 1895). 1-‐5h pnckl(t)y (outward)
a) Fragmentary and worn out Āmārgar  impression. Bear-‐ Panjgird
ing an inscription possibly arranged on three lines. c) Fragmentary lion crouching to the right, at 12h star
1. <…> p and moon. Inscription 10-‐9h.
2. <…> 10-‐9h ŠR(M)
3. ʾm(l)<…> drōd    “health”
Possibly to be identified with the Āmārgar of Ø 6.1 x 2.1
Ādurbādagān11.
GYSELEN 2002, 40, fig. 5, 127; Idem, 2007, 132-‐134.
b) Fragmentary human bust to right. Inscriptions at 11
The identification is based on the fact that the only attested
9h and 1-‐5h. Āmārgar seal impression in which the last letter of the first line is
3h mt a p is the one belonging to the Āmārgar of Ādurbādagān.
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 215

Cat. no. 1896.

10) Sealing carrying eighteen small impressions (Cat. no. k) Oval, device. (= j)
1896). l) Round, device.
a) Rect. Animal to right. m) Round, bird to right, unreadable inscription all
b) Round, flower. around.
c) Round, illegible. <…> plhw’dʾt’
d) Rect. Animal to right. (= a) <…> Farroxdād
e) Rect. Animal to right. (= a) n) Round, device.
f) Rect. Animal to right. (= a) o) Round, bear head to right.
g) Round, illegible. (= b) p) Round, Bird to right (= m, incomplete).
h) Rhomboidal, bear head to right. q) Round, bird to right (=m, incomplete).
i) Rhomboidal, bear head to right. ( = h) r) Rectangular, device.
j) Oval, device. Ø 5.1 x 2.4

Cat. no. 1897.

11) Sealing bearing five impressions (Cat. no. 1897). c) Bird to right.
a) Beribboned ram standing to right, inscription 4-‐11h, d) Illegible.
followed by six visible annulets. e) Illegible.
(…….)ʾsmʾn ZY lʾst’ Ø 5.6 x 1.9
(……)āsmān  ī  rāst
(….) the just
b) Deer standing to right; inscription at 10-‐9h (= 48a)
ʾp for ʾpzwn’
abzōn  “increase”12 12
Neither here nor in 48a it is possible to determine beyond all
doubts whether the final letters of the word are present in small
characters by the animal’s tail.
216 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1898.

12) Sealing bearing five impressions (Cat. no. 1898). c) Illegible.
a) Monogram, crescent to left at 6h. d) Illegible.
(m)y e) Illegible.
b) Illegible. Ø 5.0 x 1.9

Cat. no. 1899.

13) Fragmentary sealing bearing three impressions (Cat. ʾpzwn’
no. 1899). abzōn    “increase”
a) Gōbedšāh standing to right. c) Small inscription fragment.
b) Fragmentary lion crouching to right, inscription d) <…>(.)šty
12-‐10h. Ø 4.9 x 2.2

Cat. no. 1900.

14) Sealing carrying four impressions (Cat. no. 1900). c) Bird to the right.
a) Cock to the right, star at 12h, device at 3h, crescent d) Monogram.
at 5h. Ø 4.1 x 2.2
b) Monogram.
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 217

Cat. no. 1901.

15) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1901).

a) Bear head to right, within barely visible border of
pearls.
Ø 3.9 x 2.0

Cat. no. 1902.

16) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1902).
a) Barely visible, perhaps bear head to right within
border of pearls (= 15a).
Ø 3.6 x 1.9

Cat. no. 1903.

17) Sealing carrying two impressions (Cat. no. 1903).

a) Monogram.
b) Almost illegible female figure (?).
Ø 4.0 x 1.7
218 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1904.

18) Fragmentary sealing bearing one impression (Cat.
no. 1904).
a) Illegible.
Ø 3.8 x 1.8

Cat. no. 1905.

19) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1905).
a) Illegible.
Ø 3.3 x 2.2

Cat. no. 1906.

20) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1906).

a) Beribboned deer crouching to right.
Ø 3.6 x 2.0
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 219

Cat. no. 1907.

21) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1907).

a) Lion crouching to right, inscription1-‐11h.
mtr’mʾh (?)
Mihrmāh
Ø 3.5 x 1.9

Cat. no. 1908.

22) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1908).
a) Monogram.
Ø 3.2 x 1.9

Cat. no. 1909.

23) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1909).
a) Illegible.
Ø 3.4 x 2.0
220 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1910.

24) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1910).
a) Beribboned lion\panther walking to right; illegible
inscription.
Ø 2.9 x 1.7

Cat. no. 1911.

25) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1911).
a) Elephant standing to right.
Ø 3.3 x 1.6

Cat. no. 1912.

26) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1912). 13

a) Two crested birds facing one another13. From our photos both birds seem to have crests, though it is
not possible to rule out that what we have interpreted as crests may
Ø 3.3 x 2.6 be, entirely or in part, an inscription.
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 221

Cat. no. 1913.

27) Sealing bearing two impressions (Cat. no. 1913).

a) Small “treasury” symbol.
b) Barely readable, probably a geometric device.
Ø 3.1 x 1.7

Cat. no. 1914.

28) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1914).
a) Illegible (animal to the right?).
Ø 3.0 x 1.8

Cat. no. 1915.

29) Sealing bearing two impressions (Cat. no. 1915).
a) Bear head to right within a border of pearls.
b) Illegible.
Ø 3.0 x 1.8
222 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1916.

30) Sealing carrying two impressions (Cat. no. 1916). Wahrām

a) Lion crouching to right; inscription 12-‐9h. b) Illegible.
wlhlʾn Ø 2.7 x 1.5

Cat. no. 1917.

31) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1917).
a) Bird to right, something hanging from the beak.
Ø 2.7 x 1.7

Cat. no. 1918.

32) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1918).

a) Star above crescent (= 45a?).
Ø 2.5 x 1.7
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 223

Cat. no. 1919.

33) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1919).
a) Monogram.
Ø 2.7 x 1.8

Cat. no. 1920.

34) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1920).
a) Lion crouching to right; Inscription at 11h.
hw
hu  “good”
Ø 2.6 x 1.5

Cat. no. 1921.

35) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1921).

a) Cock walking to right, device at 3h; ; inscription
12-‐9h. 14
An alternative reading mʾcʾnt', for which cf. Av mazant-­ is
mʾhš(yt') less probable on formal and semantic grounds. The apparent ṣādē
māhšēd14 in third place is an optic illusion due to the superimposition of
Ø 2.5 x 1.8 ḥēt and šīn.
224 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1922.

36) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1922).
a) Bear head to right, in a border of pearls.
b) Ø 2.8 x 1.6

Cat. no. 1923.

37) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1923).
a) Bird to right; inscription 12-‐10h
bwht’
bōxt  “saved”
Ø 2.9 x 1.5

Cat. no. 1924.

38) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1924).
a) Lion (?) walking to right.
Ø 3.1 x 1.9
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 225

Cat. no. 1925.

39) Sealing bearing two impressions (Cat. no. 1925). Ādurfarrdād  ī  Gušnaspān15
a) Monogram; Inscription 5-‐7h. b) Lion crouching to right; flower at 11h.
(ʾ)twr(prnd)ʾt (Y) (gw)šnspʾn Ø 3.1 x 1.5

Cat. no. 1926.

40) Fragmentary sealing carrying three impressions (Cat. b) Bird to right.
no. 1926). c) Illegible.
a) Monogram (mhw) and possibly a smaller letter p Ø 3.7 x 1.3
above the ductus.

Cat. no. 1927.

41) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1927).
a) Bird to right (worn).
15
Ø 3.1 x 1.7 The reading is not assured.
226 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1928.

42) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1928).
a) Illegible, probably inscription.
Ø 2.7 x 2.0

Cat. no. 1929.

43) Sealing bearing two impressions (Cat. no. 1929). i. (šn)ʾn(…)

a) Beribboned ram to right; inscription 12-‐9h. ii. (b)ʾnm
ʾtlwšnsp’ (?) iii. (…)wr’
Ādarwišnasp Ø 2.8 x 1.6
b) Inscription on three lines.

Cat. no. 1930.

44) Sealing carrying two impressions (Cat. no. 1930).
a) Monogram.
b) Monogram hw.
Ø 2.7 x 1.5
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 227

Cat. no. 1931.

45) Sealing bearing one impression (Cat. no. 1931).

a) Star above crescent (= 32a?).
Ø 2.5 x 1.5

Cat. no. 1932.

46) Sealing carrying one impression (Cat. no. 1932).
a) Monogram.
Ø 2.4 x 1.4

Cat. no. 1933.

47) Fragmentary sealing bearing one impression (Cat.

no. 1933).
a) Lion\panther walking to right.
Ø 2.9 x 1.7
228 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

Cat. no. 1934.

48) Fragmentary sealing carrying two impressions (Cat. abzōn  “increase” (see note to 11b)
no. 1934). b) Illegible.
a) Deer standing to right; inscription at 10-‐9h (= 11b). Ø 2.5 x 1.0
ʾp for ʾpzwn’

Cat. no. 1935.

49) Fragmentary sealing bearing one impression (Cat.

no. 1935).
a) Illegible fragment.
Ø 3.5 x 1.0
Cat. no. 1905. Cat. no. 1914. Cat. no. 1926.
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 229

SUBJECTS

ADMINISTRATIVE *

1889 1890 1891 1892

1893 1894 1895

1889 -‐ Illegible. 1893 -‐ Āmārgar  of  Ērān-­abzūd-‐Husraw, *Nasīnā,  Arwāyestān  

1890 -‐ Āmārgar   of   Ābzūd-‐husraw and Šahr-­winnārd-­ and  *Arzōn.
yazdegard. 1894 -‐ Āmārgar   of   Garmīgān   and   Nōd-­Ardašīragān   –  
1891 -‐ Ōstāndār  of  Nīsā. doubtful.  
1892 -‐ Āmārgar  of  Šahr-­pādār-­pērōz  and  Armen. 1895 -‐ Āmārgar.

INSCRIPTIONS

1899 1929

* Thematic tables are not exhaustive, showing mainly the more significant examples of each group.
230 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

MONOGRAMS

1890 1898 1900a

1900b 1903 1908

1919 1925 1926

1930a 1930b 1932

 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 231

HUMAN

1887 1888 1895 1903

ANIMALS
BEARS

1890 1896 1901 1915

BIRDS

1896 1900 1912 1917

1923 1926 1927

232 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

COCKS

1900 1921

DEER

1897 1906 1934

ELEPHANT

1911

IBEX

1893
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 233

LIONS

1895 1899 1907

1910 1916 1920

1924 1925 1933

RAMS

1889 1891 1897 1929

234 CARLO G. CERETI - YOUSSEF MORADI - CYRUS NASROLLAZADEH

MYTHICAL ANIMALS FLOWERS

1899 1896

SYMBOLS AND DEVICES

1896a 1896b 1896c

1913a 1913b

1918 1931
 A COLLECTION OF SASANIAN CLAY SEALINGS 235

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CHEUNG, J. rique de l’Empire Sassanide: sceaux administratifs de

2007 - Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb,
Leiden-Boston.
DURKIN-MEISTERERNST, D.
2004 - Dictionary of Manichaean Middle Persian and
Parthian, (Corpus Fontium Manichaeorum – Diction-
ary of Manichaean Texts III 1), Turnhout.
la collection Ahmad Saeedi, Paris.
2007 - Sasanian Seals and Sealings in the A. Saeedi
Collection, (Acta Iranica 44), Leuven.
MACKENZIE, D.N.
1971 - A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary, London [re-
printed with corrections 1986, 1990].

GYSELEN, R.
1989 - La géographie administrative de l’Empire sas-
sanide. Les témoignages sigillographiques, (Res Orien-
tales 1), Bures-sur-Yvette.
2001 - The Four Generals of the Sasanian Empire:
Some Sigillographic Evidence, (IsIAO Conferenze 14),
Roma.
2002 - Nouveaux matériaux pour la géographie histo-
SIMS-WILLIAMS, N.
2000 - Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan
I: Legal and Economic Documents, (Corpus Inscrip-
tionum Iranicarum Pt. II, Vol. VI, I), London.
2007 - Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan
II: Letters and Buddhist Texts, (Corpus Inscriptionum
Iranicarum Pt. II, Vol. VI, II), London.
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