Imperial Mauriyan Seal?

[Md. Shariful Islam]

Accirding to the dealer the element is found with Mauriyan imperial coins! Likely made of resin like material. The coin at 2 O'clock position bears the symbol above lion symbol on the supposed seal. What is about this element please!

[THCoins]

Interesting piece !
If i look at the object in isolation i would at first think it resembles much later Sasanian or Islamic glass weights. Also the greenish color of the glass would fit very well with this. The lion and symbol on the other hand could very well be Indian.
If the provenance is reliable, that is ofcourse important supportive information.

I did a quick internet search to see if the Mauryans had a known glass production. The only references on glass seem to indicate that this was typically a luxury import item from the west.

[Md. Shariful Islam]

I did a quick internet search to see if the Mauryans had a known glass production.

Firstly, you know, I am very happy to see you my dear Dr. Anthony!
Secondly, please note, it is not made of glass. Light weight. Seems like some kind of resin.

[Figleaf]

I can well imagine taking the symbol above the lion for a sun with four tauric symbols, as the Mauryans used, but on closer inspection, they are not tauric symbols but moons. The horns of the bull are there, but the head isn't.

While the sun-moon combination occurs regularly on ancient (pre-islamic) Turkic coins, it looks out of place on a more modern (I agree with THCoins) piece. Therefore, I propose that they were meant to be rays from the sun represented by the dot in the centre. What you get with that proposition is a walking lion with a rising sun behind, which is a very often used pattern on Iranian coins.

Peter

[THCoins]

Happy to be slowly getting back !

In an archeological context i have a problem with ana artificial or natural resin i can imagine. Firstly, the color then seems odd. Secondly, (if not fossilized) a resin would be expected to desintegrate much more over time ?

Anthony