NEO-BABYLONIAN TO ACHAEMENID BANDED AGATE CYLINDER SEAL WITH ROYAL HERO AND MYTHICAL CREATURES. Ca. 6th - 4th century BC. A banded agate cylinder seal depicting a complex composition, including a royal hero fighting a mythical creature, a deity standing on a bull attacked by a lion, and the symbol of Marduk, patron deity of Babylon, above its Mušḫuššu dragon. Studied by PD Dr. habil. Pieter Gert van der Veen, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. Size: 55mm x 20mm; Weight: 39.84g Provenance: Private UK collection; Ex. European collection formed in France in the 1960s to 1980s; Ex. Bachmann collection. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.