The British Museum
From The British Museum
Illustration: Seal M-300A *
Function of Seals
- Sealing of goods to denote ownership
- Identify the mother country of the merchant
- Identify the origin of the traded commodity without opening the bundle of goods, thus facilitating storage, taxation, further shipment and other functions.
- Some seals may have been used by religious leaders for special ceremonies and others by landowners and traders
[The following are added by the Admin]
- Like birth certificates
- Amulets
- Commemorative seals (like special issue stamps or coins)
Dholavira
- First evidence of seals, writing and weights appeared in stage III
- Early seals were small and light, square in shape with a small boss at the back
- Seals bore figures or mythological scenes but no inscriptions
- Late Harappan seals were mostly rectangular bearing inscriptions only without any figures or scenes. (1900-1700 BC) (Stage VI)
By 2600 BC, specialised engravers made seals with writing on the reverse so that when stamped in clay, it formed a raised positive message. Artisans used seals or wooden moulds to produce numerous copies of inscriptions or narrative scenes on fired terracotta and glazed faience tablets.
Potters used seals to impress writing on pottery vessels, usually disposable drinking cups. Moulds for making large pottery vessels were incised on the exterior, possibly to identify the owner of the mould itself. Often, the script was incised on the interior in reverse so that the base of the jars would have raised symbols.
Manufacture
Materials
- Steatite
- Silver (2 examples)
- Copper (2 examples)
Steatite seals
The soft soapstone was carved, polished, and fired in a kiln to whiten and harden the surface. Only after the outside had been hardened could the seal be used to stamp wet clay.
Square Seals
These seals usually have a line of script along the top of the seal and a carved animal in the central portion. Animals depicted include male domestic, wild and mythical beasts.
thanks you.
Steepshot