Seal of King Šauštatar of Mitanni

This dynastic seal is traditionally attributed to Šauštatar, one of the most powerful kings of Mitanni during the fifteenth century BCE. The seal became a dynastic emblem and continued to be used by later Mitannian rulers after his reign. Surviving impressions show a densely populated composition characteristic of Mitannian glyptic art, including heroic figures, winged supernatural beings, wild animals and a winged solar emblem.The best-known impressions derive from documents discovered at Nuzi and other centres within the Mitannian sphere. The seal is generally regarded as one of the most…