In the ancient near east, the carving of intaglio gems was raised to a high art. With delicate skill, artisans created mythic images whose power of visual enchantment belies their tiny size. Strange gods and animals parade across these gems, evoking a magical universe. On this unusual jasper seal, three figures are shown: one flying with widespread wings, the other two facing each other across the image of a winged sphinx. Like the culture that created it, the meaning of the myth has been lost to the centuries. Nonetheless, to hold this superb talisman is to set the imagination on a flight of its own.