SEALED WITH A CYLINDER

Clay Tablet

Mary Frank (British-American)

This unusual clay sculpture is the creation of the world-renowned British-American artist Mary Frank. So I was pretty surprised (and honored) when she generously responded to my email inquiry about her piece…

It made me happy to see the piece you have again. I was inspired by ancient cylinder seals, and decided to make my own in clay using a reverse technique. This is one of the oldest forms of printing, so in a way I consider these works as prints. However, I like to refer to them as reliefs or plaques. If I had a mile of clay I would push the cylinders from its beginning to its end.

How lucky I am to be the custodian of an art form inspired by ancient Mesopotamian objects. Back then they served as a form of signature, product branding, jewelry, and even amulets.

I like to think of mine as a magic amulet.

One of Mary Frank’s clay cylinders.