Islamic Silver Seal with Bird Finial

Islamic silver stamp seal with an oval carnelian intaglio featuring Arabic calligraphy, surmounted by a figural finial in the form of a long-billed bird, possibly an ibis. The deep red-brown carnelian is set in a silver bezel and engraved with a personal name or religious invocation in naskh script surrounded by decorative foliate patterns. The handle rises to a bird figure standing on a pedestal, with the base decorated with flowing arabesque patterns. The openwork silver design includes scrolling elements and a suspension loop. Such seals were used throughout the Islamic world to authenticate documents and correspondence.