“Porada, born in Vienna, fled Europe in 1938, after {{w|Kristallnacht}}. One of the few things she brought with her to New York was the plate copy of her dissertation, complete with her drawings of seal impressions from European collections, which she presented to {{w|Belle da Costa Greene}}, {{w|Morgan Library & Museum|the Morgan}}’s first director.In ancient {{w|Mesopotamia}}, {{w|cylinder seal}}s — often carved with exquisitely detailed scenes — were used to roll the owner’s unique stamp onto a document produced by scribes, attesting to its authenticity.”