Head of a wild ram

Unknown

ca. 6th–4th century BCE · Gold · Ancient Near Eastern Art

This gold ram’s head sculpture is in the round. It has curved horns with incised decorations, pointed ears, chased details on its face, and a shaggy beard. Given the small size of the head it is difficult to say much about how it was made. It was most likely hammered from a single sheet of gold, with many details added later by chasing. The line of the neck is not completely straight, suggesting that it may have once been part of a larger figure. Goats, specifically wild mountain goats, were an important aspect of ancient Persian iconography. Unlike Mesopotamia, which is flat, Iran has many mountains, and mountain goats, with their distinctive curved horns, became important markers of Iranian identity, even before the region came to be known as ‘Iran.’

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 6th–4th century BCE

Medium

Gold

Culture

Achaemenid

Department

Ancient Near Eastern Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1917