The original is a marble cylinder seal from the Uruk IV period, with a cone-shaped top and depicting sheep grazing, flora and rosette decorations. This artifact resides at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History as part of the Yale Babylon Collection and is catalog number BC.037587 (Original Catalog Number: NCBS 690).
 
Cylinder seals were widely used in ancient Mesopotamia and served as a form of signature and identification tool. They were often used to leave or seal marks by rolling them into clay or other soft materials. Scenes depicted on cylinder seals provide valuable clues about the daily life, beliefs and culture of ancient civilizations such as Sumer and Akkad.
 
The size is approximately 2,5cm.