Cylinder seal and impression
Syria (ca. 1720–1650 B.C.)

For the ancient Near East, the act of procreation symbolized creation itself. The female figure in this scene reveals only her pubic area as if to emphasize this idea of procreation rather than mere carnality. The hand-to-mouth gesture of the male figure, as well as his downward-stretched arm, document his astonishment at the symbolic truth being revealed to him.

The Morgan Library