.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The fragment likely formed part of the Ziwiye hoard of treasure, found in 1947 in modern day Kurdistan. The hoard is significant in that the objects exhibit styles and motifs associated with pre-eminent cultures at this juncture in history: Assyrian, Scythian, proto Achaemenid and Urartian.
Some of the hoard consisted of a number of gold plaques, as with this example, which have been presumed to be belt fragments because of their rectangular forms with a perforated border, suggesting they were once attached to an inner lining made of fabric or leather.
Over ten fragments from this belt have been identified, many of which can be found today in major institutions around the world, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. no. 50.196a,b, the British Museum, inv. no. 1960,0514.1., and the Louvre, Paris.
The decoration consists of tree branches, goats and stags in repoussé with chased details, joined by lion masks, which are rendered in relief with chased details. The rendering of the stags and goats are reminiscent of the Scythian animal style.
Some of the hoard consisted of a number of gold plaques, as with this example, which have been presumed to be belt fragments because of their rectangular forms with a perforated border, suggesting they were once attached to an inner lining made of fabric or leather.
Over ten fragments from this belt have been identified, many of which can be found today in major institutions around the world, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. no. 50.196a,b, the British Museum, inv. no. 1960,0514.1., and the Louvre, Paris.
The decoration consists of tree branches, goats and stags in repoussé with chased details, joined by lion masks, which are rendered in relief with chased details. The rendering of the stags and goats are reminiscent of the Scythian animal style.