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Main characteristics of the style
The Deep Fringe Style is characterized primarily by the distinctive treatment of garments, in which fringes and pleats are rendered as deeply incised linear elements, typically positioned along the central axis or the edges of the garment.
Pleated textiles, as seen for example in AKc102 and AKc103, are likewise articulated through deeply cut grooves that emphasize the thickness and materiality of the fabric. In A15.270, priests wear short skirts with pronounced fringe decoration, while a seated female figure is depicted in a long pleated garment.
Animal representations are relatively infrequent within this style; however, when present, both animal and human bodies are rendered with a degree of naturalism.
In a scene with a birdman (A1.325) there are two unclear figures flanking the birdman. Both are wearing pleated garments and one has an arm raised in the direction of the birdman. Characteristic of this style is the position of the birdman in an empty field as well as the patterning of his tail. While the entire composition is not clear, the placement of the figures in the composition and the carving of the wings of the bird man and the garments of the other two figures are clearly in this style
A notable compositional feature is the even and measured spacing of figures, producing a balanced and orderly visual field.
The physiognomy of the figures is highly standardized: large oval heads, prominent oval eyes often marked by dotted pupils, triangular noses, pointed chins, and full lips. In contrast to the Dotted Eye Style, the facial features are not conflated; rather, the eyes remain distinct from the nose and mouth. The legs and feet of the standing figures are rendered with relative anatomical realism.
Celestial symbols, notably the eight-pointed star and crescent moon, are prominently displayed.
Beards are rarely depicted and, when present (e.g., AKc103), they appear long and narrow.
In A7.327, pleated garments recur, and emphasis is placed on gesture through the extension of arms and hands, suggesting the communicative or symbolic importance of bodily articulation.
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AKc102
A1.325
AKc103
A15.270
A7.327
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Royal iconography
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The queen’s seals
The Deep Fringe Style is also effectively employed in royal glyptic imagery. Notably, it appears in two of the queen’s lyre scenes (TGL^qu4 and TGL^qu6). These compositions display the hallmarks of the style: elongation of tye most important arm; accentuated facial features, feet and ankles; carefully rendered fringe patterns; a measured distribution of figures across the seal surface.
In these scenes, the carving of fringe is particularly diagnostic. For instance, in TGL^qu4 the garments of the singer (seated) and of the two attendants feature a central band of short diagonal incisions, creating a highly visible and rhythmic pattern. The queen’s garment similarly displays deeply incised pleating, reinforcing the stylistic coherence of the composition.
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TGL^qu2
TGL^qu3
TGL^qu4
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The king’s seals
One of the king’s seals (TGL^kt2) provides an important example of stylistic and compositional integration. The fringe of the crown prince’s garment and the lion’s ruff are deeply carved, while the prince’s eye remains large, recalling features of the Dotted Eye Style. The standing figure has a face and head carved in a more natural manner so that there is a natural proportion between the eye, nose and lips.
The compositional arrangement – specifically the placement of a smaller figure (the crown prince) before the king – creates a spatial emphasis on the upper body of the king. The arm and hand of the prince are exaggerated here as they touch the lap of the king. The hierarchical scaling is thus reinforced by gesture. The motif of lap-touching functions as a sign of homage, paralleled by the elongation of arms and hands directed toward the royal figure.
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TGL^kt2
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This gesture is also attested in the queen’s lyre scenes (TGL^qu4 above), where the extended arm of a smaller figure (likely a daughter) touches the queen’s lap. A similar configuration appears in the seal of Zamena (TGL^cu2),
where the gesture may indicate homage to both the queen and the child.
Differences in status are further articulated through scale and detail: the crown prince is taller and more elaborately dressed than the princess, whose garment lacks fringe but whose hairstyle imitates that of the queen. The prince’s crown is also distinct from that of the king, indicating differentiated roles within the royal hierarchy.
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TGL^cu2
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Beyond the courtly context
The same carving technique is applied to non-royal themes. In A5.135, an animal combat scene, the manes of what are presumably two lions are rendered using the same diagonal incision pattern characteristic of garment fringes. This treatment enhances the naturalism of the animals and is further emphasized by the interaction with a naked human figure, whose foot rests upon one of the manes.
A comparable treatment is found in A5q845.2, where large animals are fighting: one lion’s mane extends across the head and back, with additional patterning in the ruff that projects beyond the neck. This suggests that the stylistic vocabulary of the Deep Fringe Style is not limited to textiles but extends to other textured surfaces.
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A5.135
A5q845.2
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Other scenes carved in this style
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Banquet scenes
[I have added the second paragraph, but both paragraphs seem yo me to go better in the new naturalism page.]
Another scene rendered in this style is a banquet scene. The scenes are variously demonstrated by having one or two persons while the table can have food on it or nothing on top.In AKc103 two persons are depicted holding a raised cup. They are separated by a table which does not have food but below the table is a large jar which appears to be connected with what they are drinking in a gesture which appears to be one of saluting each other. The standing figure has a deeply fringed skirt while the seated figure wares a long garment and has a long narrow beard. The long pleated garment of the seated figure shows clearly the pleats in the thickness of the relief as it goes under the figure seated on the stool. One foot of the standing figure is preserved and shows the same triangular pattern typical for the Deep Fringe style.
A more elaborate table with food placed on top is shown in Akc102; the table is emphasized by being placed in a halo type of arrangement of dots. Here too the most important gestures are emphasized by being elongated. Therefore the arm of the deity is extended out and up holding the cup. The arm of the figure on the other side of the altar is extended so that the hand touches the altar; this last gesture is emphasized by the fact that above this arm is a crescent with a dot inside. All the figures in this scene ware garments that are heavily pleated and leave one shoulder bare.
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Themes
While not all the banquet scenes are carved in the Deep Fringe style (see A9.33) this theme appears important to Urkesh seal cutters and their patrons............say why and get other examples. [but probably not in this page on the deep fringe style?]
| The variation in the themes carved in this style can also be seen in the landscape as shown in A5.115. It is included in this style not only because of the way the small tree is carved but also because of the emphasis on movement in the animal's position. [should there be a separate page on realism? this seems important...]
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A5.115
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Conclusion
In contrast to Early Dynastic III seal impressions from Mozan, which often feature densely packed compositions (e.g., J6.8 I would omit, not very clear), Akkadian-period designs in the Deep Fringe Style exhibit a measured and evenly distributed arrangement of figures. This compositional clarity produces an effect that may be described as “classical,” characterized by balance, dignity, and visual coherence—qualities particularly appropriate to royal imagery.
This especially seems appropriate in the case of the royal scenes. In other types of scenes such as the animal combat and the landscape a more varied composition is used which is more appropriate to these motifs. One of the more interesting of these seal designs is J1q1146.1. [The drawing is very poor and does not show the deep finge. Should this go to realism as well?] Here we see a banquet scene combined with an animal combat; both have elements of the Deep Fringe style. The banquet part has three figures (seated figure, table with food on top, standing figure with extended arm holding a small jar, not the usual cup. The table has animal legs with hoofs while the one preserved leg of the stool has an animal hoof; therefore exhibiting a link between the images in the two parts of the seal design. This is not the only link however. The standing lion in the animal combat motif has a long vertical tail; the curvature of this tail reflects the head and body of the standing figure of the banquet scene next to it thereby visually linking the two motifs. This type of linking of very different motifs is unusual in Mesopotamia and Syria (see for instance the Early Akkadian seal in Boehmer 1965 Plate VII: 67).