Offering Plaques

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

ca. 5th century B.C.
Gold
(a)H. 13.0 cm, W. 3.2 cm(b)H. 9.5 cm, W. 3.1 cm
cH. 8.5 cm, W. 2.7 cm(d)H. 7.4 cm, W. 2.2 cm
(e)H. 23.3 cm, W. 4.4 cm(f)H. 2.6 cm, W. 1.5 cm
(g)H. 2.7 cm, W. 1.2 cm(h)H. 2.4 cm, W. 1.0 cm
(i)H. 1.7 cm, W. 0.8 cm
(a)-(e) Gold sheets are incised with images of priests walking to the left and holding barsoms and flowers. The priests wear kyrbasik headgear and are dressed in Persian-style robes that hang below the knees and are fitted with flowing sleeves. Each wears tight-fitting stockings beneath these tunics. With the exception of Plaques c and d, these stockings are incised with lozenge-shaped lattice patterns. Plaques b, c, and e show figures with beards. The stylized depiction of the kyrbasik headgear, the expression of the eyes, nose, and jaw lines, and the ears carved in a character "3" like shape, the nipples as if shown through the transparent garments, and the shared handling of all motifs indicate that these works may have all been created by the same artisan. Plaques a through d are fitted with thin bands.
(f)-(i) These gold sheets are inscribed with simply depicted figures of priests wearing belted tunics and carrying barsoms. Each of the sheets is fitted with a long narrow band on its lower end.