Finial
10th-7th century BCE
Description
This fragmentary finial has openwork decoration that is repeated as a mirror image on each side of the central pin. Each side consists of one double-coiled spiral reaching horizontally from the area just under the pinhead. Lower down the shaft a branch arches and curves out; the lower edge is a raised band, and the top has four small spikes (two are missing from the better-preserved side). Below this element, only one side is preserved, consisting of a triple-coil spiral resting between the branch and the neck of an animal that juts out horizontally with the head down. The head, similar to the dragons on the more traditional finial type, has high pointed ears and a comb with three prongs on top of its head. It has large eyes consisting of a flattened circle placed on a larger circle. The snout is long, turning up at the end, and the lower jaw is slightly open. It has a raised band like a collar around its neck; a triple-spiral connects the lower jaw to the pin shaft. The rest of the finial is missing.
Dimensions
h. 6.3 x w. 8.9 x th. 0.8 cm (2 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 5/16 in.)
Related Artworks
View MoreMarble
11th centuryItalianLimestone with traces of gilding and polychrome pigment
6th-7th centuryChineseLimestone
3rd millennium BCEMesopotamian
Gold-plated bronze on wooden base
20th centurySwissMarble
19th centuryAmericanMolded brick red earthenware with cold-painted pigments over white ground
7th-8th centuryChineseFloral preservatives in paper pouch, inscribed in red fiber-tip ink
20th centuryGermanPlaster
19th centuryItalianPlaster
19th centuryItalianGilt bronze
7th centuryKoreanLimestone
6th-5th century BCEAchaemenidTerracotta
Roman