작품 상세

ACHAEMENID GOLD LION INLAY APPLIQUÉ CIRCA 5TH CENTURY B.C. This finely worked gold appliqué is formed in the shape of a striding lion’s head shown in bold profile, its jaws open in a dynamic display of strength and vitality. The stylised features — almond-shaped eye, ridged muzzle, and carefully articulated mane rendered in radiating, segmented locks — reflect the distinctive aesthetic of Achaemenid imperial art. A perforation at the top indicates its original function as an inlay or attachment, likely once affixed to a ceremonial garment, harness, piece of furniture, or other luxury object. The reverse is flat and undecorated, consistent with its intended application as an ornamental mount. The lion held powerful symbolic meaning within Achaemenid visual culture, embodying royal authority, protection, and cosmic order. Across the Persian Empire, lion imagery appears in architectural reliefs, metalwork, and court regalia, serving as an emblem of dynastic strength and divine sanction. The surface displays areas of age-related wear and stress fissures consistent with antiquity, yet retains a rich golden lustre that highlights the crispness of the modelling. Height: 3.5 cm Weight: 5 g British Private Collection, Acquired via European Trade