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HOME :
Near Eastern Art :
Sassanid Art : Sassanian Green Jasper Seal
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Sassanian Green Jasper Seal - FJ.0447
Origin: Amman, Jordan
Circa: 200
AD
to 600
AD
Dimensions:
.75" (1.9cm) high
x .75" (1.9cm) wide
x .625" (1.6cm) depth
Collection: Near Eastern
Style: Sassanid
Medium: Jasper
Additional Information: Korea
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
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In 244 A.D., Ardeshir I founded the Sassanid
Dynasty, the last native Persian Kingdom to rule
Ancient Iran before the Islamic conquest. The
Sassanid era was a golden age of Persian culture
that witnessed the revival of Zoroastrianism, an
ancient mystical religion native to these lands,
and a literary Renaissance spurred by the
translation of many Old Persian epics recorded in
cuneiform into the Middle Persian language of
Pahlavi written in an alphabet derived from
Aramaic. By introducing heightened international
trade and commerce they created a legacy of
political and economic diplomacy. They
sponsored trade with the Romans (later on the
Byzantines), their archenemy, to the west and the
Chinese to the east. Excavations in China have
unearthed gold and silver Sassanid coins
covering a span of many centuries until the
demise of the Empire during the reign of
Khosrow II. However, the fall of the Empire had
already started with a series of wars waged
under the rule of Khosrow I, the father of
Khosrow II. Challenged by the intensification of
the same international commerce that had bore
such wealth, struggles for national power and
international prestige had escalated to an
ungovernable degree. In the face of threats to his
royal house, Khosrow II embarked upon military
campaigns that would prove unsuccessful. By
the close of his reign, the once mighty Sassanid
Empire came to an end, paving the way for the
rise of Islam in the Middle East.
The delicate rendering of this portrait, perhaps
that of a queen or noblewoman, shows a distinct
classical influence. Though the Sassanid Dynasty
was a formidable rival to Rome, the two empires
drew upon the common artistic heritage of
Hellenism: very possibly this gem was carved by
a Lapidary sensitive to Roman tastes. The
inscription shows the lady was a follower of
Zoroasterianism: it translates “Beloved of
Ohruzd”, the god of light and good. As we gaze
upon her image today, we feel somehow the
power of her charms reaching out across the
centuries.
- (FJ.0447)
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