A SCYTHIAN GOLD STAG APPLIQUÉ

Fashioned from a single piece of thick, hammered gold, this stag is a fine example of the ‘Animal Style’ art of the Eurasian Steppe during the first millennium B.C. As a Scythian ornamental accessory, it would have been used in the tradition of wealth-display. The large antlers extend to the rear of the stag, and the legs are tucked underneath, indicating urgent motion. As with similar examples of stag ornaments, the reverse features hoops, with which to attach it to clothing. This example has three, attached using a gold-copper alloy, which was typical of the period. Similar examples can be found in The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg (J. Aruz, A. Farkas, A. Alekseev and E. Korolkova, The Golden Deer of Eurasia, GE 2498/1) and The Cleveland Museum of Art, Acc. no. 1985.77.