There is a circle of Syriac writing around the intaglio, which could have been a personal seal used by Mani, the founder of Manichaeism.

According to the research by Hungarian Asian religious art historian Gu Leci, the seal was used between 240 and 274 or 277 AD.

Its uniqueness is not only because of its historical value, but also because of its artistic characteristics that are completely different from other ancient Iranian gem seals.

The Syriac inscription engraved around must also be visible through the convex surface: "M’ny šlyḥ’ d-yyšw‘ mšyḥ’", meaning literally "Mani, messenger of the messiah".

In the early Manichaean literature, this sentence is often used as the beginning of the religious letters written by Mani.