For the ancients, an intaglio seal might have a variety of meanings or functions. Engraved with the crest of an individual or a clan, such a seal might act as an insignia of rank, a legal signature, or a mark of property. Adorned with religious symbols or magic images, an intaglio might assume some spiritual importance necessary to maintain the balance of the universe. It may be a talisman of good luck, one whose imagery assured bountiful success or protection from evil. This superb intaglio, carved in the Upper Euphrates Valley, depicts with abstract vitality a pair of long-horned ibexes or gazelles, animals whose religious importance stretches back thousands of years. They are perhaps symbols of fertility or icons of an abundant hunt. Bold and vigorous, they appeal as much to the modern sensibility as they surely did to the ancient one.