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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.
For centuries, intaglio seals served as the mark
of an individual in the world. Bearing symbols of
power, magic and protection, such seals set their
owners apart from all others, giving him a
distinct image for identification. The Sassanids
were especially fond of using identifying seals, a
trait inherited from earlier Persian dynasties. The
Sassanid world was one of opulence and luxury,
rivaling Rome in its grandeur. This charming seal
evokes that vanished age and the lives of the
men and women who gave it meaning. Carved in
pale grey agate, it was probably worn on a cord
around the neck. As we hold it today, we are
placed in intimate touch with those who owned it
long ago.
- (FJ.4755)
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