Lot 56A
Ancient Central Eurasia, Saka or Sarmatian, ca. 2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE. A rare fragment of ancient prestige, this gold and copper plaque bears the visage of a stylized face surrounded by swirling curls and concentric forms. Created by Saka or Sarmatian metalworkers of the Central Eurasian steppe, the square sheet is embossed in low relief with a human figure - likely a deity, hero, or spirit-being - its rounded eyes and softly ridged features emerging from a golden field like a vision in firelight. A pierced suspension hole at top suggests it was once sewn or riveted to fabric or leather, part of a ceremonial garment or battle regalia designed to dazzle under the steppe sun. Size: 1" W x 1" H (2.5 cm x 2.5 cm)
Composed of 51% gold and 46% copper with a trace of lead (0.3%), the alloy exhibits the typical metallurgical preferences of nomadic elites, who valued the warm hue and prestigious sheen of gold while maintaining the workability of copper. The technique of repousse relief was widely used among steppe cultures, whose mobile lifestyles favored portable forms of ornament. Small plaques such as this were produced in large numbers but survive only in fragments, their original arrangements often lost to time. The subject's flanking coils, circular markings, and emphasized chest may indicate female divinity or shamanic adornment. In Saka and Sarmatian belief systems, adornment itself held cosmological weight - transforming wearers into liminal beings at the boundary of spirit and world. This plaque thus functions not only as decoration, but as a talisman of power, memory, and identity, bound to a vanished garment and an ancient body on the move.
Provenance: private Dayton, Maryland, USA collection; ex-private F. B. collection, Maryland, USA; ex-Priceless Past, Elijay, Georgia, USA
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#196144
- Condition: Small tear to suspension hole at top and miniscule chipping to two corners. Light surface wear commensurate with age. Accompanied by custom protective case.
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| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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