| Mani's crystal seal | |
|---|---|
._Seal_with_figure_of_Mani,_possibly_3rd_century_CE,_possibly_Irak._Cabinet_des_M%C3%A9dailles,_Paris.jpg) The crystal seal seen from the perspective of the round convex surface | |
| Material | quartz |
| Size | diameter 2.9 cm, thickness 0.9 cm |
| Created | 3rd century AD |
| Present location | National Library of France |
| Identification | inv.58.1384bis |
| Language | Syriac |
The crystal seal of Mani (French: Sceau de Mani), also known as the crystal sealstone of Mani or the Manichean Rock-Crystal Seal, is a crystal stone seal with intaglio busts of three Manichean elect. There is a circle of Syriac writing around the intaglio, which could have been a personal seal used by Mani, the founder of Manichaeism.[1] It is the oldest surviving piece of Manichaean art, and the only piece from Sassanid Mesopotamia.[2] It is now in the collection of the National Library of France in Paris.
- ^ ""Sceau de Mani" (inv.58.1384bis)". medaillesetantiques.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 2018-12-19.
Selon Zsuzsanna Gulácsi, le sceau daterait de l'époque même de Mani et pourrait être son sceau privé.
- ^ Gulácsi, Zsuzsanna (2008). "Manichean Art". Encyclopædia Iranica. Columbia University. Retrieved 2018-12-19.