Three Recumbent Animals on a Plaque

SculptureNear Eastern9th-7th century BCE

Three Recumbent Animals on a Plaque

9th-7th century BCE

Description

Three quadrupeds rest on top of a more or less rectangular plaque. The animals are virtually identical. They are alert, with the head raised and pointing forwards; the legs are bent and extend to the edges of the plaque. The animals have flat and broad tails, somewhat pointed muzzles, ears extending sidewards, and short horns or antlers. Due to the corrosion, it is difficult to determine their species with certainty, but they resemble deer, or perhaps goats. The underside of the plaque is uneven; at its center is a tang of roughly square section. Green patina over red; with a spot of turquoise underneath.

Classification

Sculpture

Technique

Cast, lost-wax process

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Near Eastern

Period

Iron Age

Century

9th-7th century BCE

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics

Dimensions

5.5 x 5.7 x 4.9 cm (2 3/16 x 2 1/4 x 1 15/16 in.)

Provenance

Robert Owen Lehman, London (by 1966), gift; to Nicholas A. Grace, Marion, MA, (1966 - 2012), gift; to The Harvard Art Museums, 2012.

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Three Recumbent Animals on a Plaque | Harvard Art Museums | KenAI