Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card 3: 'Forged cylinder seal, hexagonal redstone.'
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (Analysis)
Handwritten analysis pasted to catalogue card by Sidney Smith: 'I am very doubtful of this hexagon-shaped seal, and think it probably a forgery.'
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card 2: 'Hexagonal cylinder seal. Carnelian. Inscr[iption] in cuneiform & also figure.'
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (Analysis)
At some point, probably after 1947 and certainly before 1979, Sidney Smith (1889-1979), Keeper of the Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities at the British Museum, visited the museum and examined the cylinder and cone seals in William Ridgeway's collection and some of the cylinder seals in Horace Beck's collection. Smith wrote out descriptions and dates for the seals, some of which were cut out and pasted on the objects' catalogue cards and some of which ended up in the archive (GO1/3/3). His identity was confirmed in January 2019 by staff at the British Museum based on his handwriting. In the case of this object, the analysis is pasted to the catalogue card.
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (Auction / Sale)
Bought in Paris.
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Description (Labels & Markings)
Handwritten tag previously attached by metal wire: 'Paris 15.'
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Description (Labels & Markings)
Handwritten tag attached by string: 'Hexagonal. ?forgery. 15.'
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card 1 (1927.797 A-B): Seal. Forgeries.
Event Date 1927
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Description (Physical description)
Fake cylinder seal of red stone, hexagonal, with an "inscription" and standing figure.
Event Date 6/11/2017
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (Other)
The original catalogue card gives the Place as West Asia whilst subsequent catalogue cards give the place as Egypt; the former was used when the catalogue record was created. As this is a forgery, it is probably neither.
Event Date 6/11/2017
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)