gorytus;
fitting
- Museum number
- 123940
- Title
- Series: Oxus Treasure
- Description
-
Gold gorytus-fitting: gold cut-out plaque in the shape of a stylized bird's head with a large curved beak and a coiled serpentine neck. At the back of the plaque are five loops for attachment. Openwork.
- Production date
- 5thC BC-4thC BC (about)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 3.50 centimetres
-
Weight: 4 grammes
-
Thickness: 1 centimetres
-
Width: 2.50 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- This plaque was evidently attached to cloth or leather, and most probably decorated the top of a gorytus or bow-case as shown on the Persepolis reliefs (Moorey 1985: 27).
Plaques for fixing to clothes, textiles and horse harness are well known from Scythian contexts, and stylized bird's heads with round bulging eyes and hooked beaks are a characteristic feature of Scythian art.
- Location
- On display (G52/dc3)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2023 4 May - 13 Aug, London, BM, G35, Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece
2020 20 Feb-25 Oct, CaixaForum Zaragoza, An Age of Luxury
2019-2020 18 Sep-12 Jan, CaixaForum Madrid, An Age of Luxury
2019 4 Apr-11 Aug, CaixaForum Barcelona, An Age of Luxury
2018 9 May-3 Sep, Hong Kong History Museum, An Age of Luxury
2006 7 Mar-11 Jun, Barcelona, Fundacion La Caixa, 'L'imperi Oblidat'
2005-2006 Sept-Jan, London, BM, 'Forgotten Empire'
1995-2005 17 Nov-Aug BM, G52/IRAN/29b
1994 16 Jun-23 Dec BM, G49/IRAN/29b
1989 Exhibition: "Oxus. Der Oxus-Schatzaus dem British Museum London / The Oxus Treasure from the British Museum, London", Museum Rietberg, Zürich (proposed extension to the Staatliche Museen fur Volkerkunde in Munich was cancelled at their request).
1989 Temporary display, BM, Room 35 (Hinton St Mary mosaic staircase)
1975-ca 1990 Jul- BM, Iranian Room [IR], OT case
1931-ca 1939 BM, Room 20: Persian Room
1923-1931 BM, King Edward VII Building: Franks Display
1900- BM, Gold Ornament Room
- Acquisition date
- 1897
- Department
- Middle East
- BM/Big number
- 123940
- Registration number
- 1897,1231.39
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: OT 39 (catalogue no)
