Shaped like an offering pot, this rare sculpture was originally a votive gift at the shrine of some powerful deity. With a cache of related objects, it was discovered along the shores of Lake Van in Armenia. The cult appears to have focused on nature and fertility, and was perhaps concerned with the afterlife. The intaglio image on the base, depicting a horned goat or deer, may have stood in proxy for a more costly sacrifice. Pressed into soft wax or clay, the seal would have created multiple images to please the god. Elegantly shaped, appealing to both the eye and the touch, this is a fascinating token from the dawn of western culture.