Bull-like composite creature and ‘script’ (on loan)

Seals and their impressions are a distinctive part of Harappan culture. Despite the shallowness of the carving, the animal forms are rendered with remarkable skill. By far the most popular symbol was the ‘unicorn’, which is more likely to be a humpless bull in profile. Seals sometimes also show composite creatures, made up of different animals and plants, which perhaps had a symbolic meaning. Rhinoceros and elephants have also been found on seals, indicating that their habitats once extended further west than they do today.