Carved in the abstract shape of a crested bird, perhaps a hoopoe or woodpecker, this unusual votive was offered centuries ago at the shrine of a powerful deity. It was discovered with a cache of related artifacts along the shores of lake van in Armenia. The cult apparently was concerned with nature, animal fertility, perhaps with the afterlife. The recurring motif of the bird may relate to the idea of the soul. The image engraved on the base of the seal shows a seated idol facing a horned animal. It is perhaps an early example of the "master of the beasts" theme, an attempt to control the forces of nature which was popular throughout the near east. To hold this splendid token of a vanished world is to recall dreams, hopes and passions that are as old as civilization itself.