An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s9.32

v1.c9.s9.32

But there is none to beat the Indus artist when he sets himself down to carve out the seals [3.2]. Made of steatite, the typical Indus seal is square in shape, the side measuring from 2 to 3 cm. On the main face is carved in intaglio an animal above which is a short inscription. The back has usually a perforated boss, evidently for suspension. While the animals include the unicorn, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, etc., the depiction of Brahmani bull with its hump and swinging dewlap is indeed most remarkable and can very well be the envy of any artist, past or present. Besides these typical seals, there are others which are either rectangular or circular in shape; and a few are cylindrical as well. Some seals bear only an inscription and no animal, whereas there are some others which have only an animal or a bird or a symbol but no inscription. Some seals are rather elaborate and depict scenes like ‘Gilgamesh fighting with lions’, devotees offering sacrifice to a deity within a pipal enclosure, or even a ‘Śiva-Paśupati’ surrounded by wild animals. While the use of some of the seals may have been magico-religious, it would appear that most of these were used for the very purpose for which seals are used even today. This is indicated by the discovery of lumps of clay which bear impressions variously of reeds, cloth and or knotted twine on one side and of a seal or seals on the other. Evidently certain commodities were packed in reed or cloth packages which were tied with a thread; on the knot was placed wet clay which in turn was stamped with a seal or seals as necessary.