just-a-little-history:Scythian Gold Animal in the Form of a StagCulture: ScythianPeriod: 4th – 3rd c
just-a-little-history:Scythian Gold Animal in the Form of a StagCulture: ScythianPeriod: 4th – 3rd century B.C.Material: GoldDimensions: Length: 4.9cm, Weight: 19.6gr.Conditions: Superb condition. Intact with no traces of tear or wear.This ornament, entirely made of gold, was hammered from a thin metal sheet over a core, probably of wood; the pointed ears and the horns, whose attachments are still visible in the center of the forehead, were cast separately. Semi-precious stones (turquoise, lapis lazuli, cornelian?) once adorned the eyes and the half-moons on the body that represent the ribs of the animal.The neck and the head of the deer are sculpted in the round, while the body is in relief; on the back - inside the body – the two small pipes soldered to the plate form part of the structure which allowed the ornament to be attached to its support: probably a piece of furniture or a wooden container. The deer is seated, with three legs folded under its rectangular body. The left foreleg, bent and raised, is placed at a right angle to the chest: this composition could indicate that the ornament occupied an angled position on its support.In spite of the specific position of the hindquarters and some stylization, typical of Scythian animal art, the deer is modeled in a very naturalistic attitude: it is calmly seated, straightening its neck and slightly turning its head towards the observer. The pointed ears reflect the deer’s natural skittishness.Light modeling, incisions and lines in low relief mark many anatomical details: the pelt on the chest, the hooves, the outline of the legs and, on the muzzle, the nostrils, the mouth and the bone structure of the skull and of the jaw.Source http://www.phoenixancientart.com/work-of-art/scythian-gold-animal-in-the-form-of-a-stag -- source link
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