Offering Plaques

  • ca. 5th century B.C.
  • Gold
Catalogue Entry

ca. 5th century B.C.
Gold
(a)H. 17.0 cm, W. 7.7 cm(b)H. 16.0 cm, W. 7.3 cm
cH. 13.6 cm, W. 7.4 cm(d)H. 17.1 cm, W. 7.7 cm
(a) A priest walking to the right has been carved in a type of "wedge-dotting" carving on a rectangular gold sheet. The figure's right hand holds four barsoms to the front, and the left hand supports the bottom of the barsoms. The figure wears a krybasia headdress and a mask covering his shut mouth. He wears a knee-length, belted tunic, and the ends of the tunic hang to the front. An outer garment, or kandys, is worn over the tunic, and its vertical edges are decorated with two bands of round decoration. The arms run through the sleeves of the outer garment, and the wrinkles on the sleeves extend up to the shoulders. The left leg is extended to the front, wears a wrinkle-free slacks or long boots. Conversely, the right leg is decorated with round pressed designs. A cord binds the boot at the ankle. A wide band is attached to the bottom of the plaque, but only a part remains today.
(b) A priest is shown walking towards the right in a form of wedge-dotting carving
on a rectangular gold sheet. He holds 4 or 5 barsoms in both hands. The priest is wearing a kyrbasia headdress, has his mouth covered, and the edges of his knee-length, belted tunic hang down to the front. The bottom edge of the tunic is fitted with three bands of edge decoration. He does not wear a kandys outer garment. Only the front sleeve shows wrinkles, and his legs are fitted with either trousers or long boots, with a cord binding across the foot.
c A priest walking to the right is shown in a type of wedge-dotting carving on a rectangular gold sheet. He holds five barsoms in his right hand and his left hand hangs down. The figure wears a kyrbasia headdress, has his mouth covered, and wears a belted, knee-length tunic whose ends hand down to the front. The lower edge of the tunic is fitted with three rows of decorative edging. Only the front sleeve shows wrinkles, and his legs are fitted with tight legging like trousers tucked into short boots. Similar motifs can be seen in Oxus tresure. No. 50 , a work which shows the same garments, wrinkles and number of barsoms. These are two works are important as two plaques with the most similar details.
(d) A priest almost identical to that found on cat. No. 65 c is incised on a rectangular gold sheet. The differences show that here the priest holds four barsoms, the wrinkles on his sleeve continue onto the upper arm, there is a four band decoration on the bottom edge of his tunic, and his boots are tied with cords. Originally a band was attached to the bottom edge of the sheet, but it is no longer extant.