Ornament in the shape of a ram's head

Unknown

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

This gold applique is in the form of a ram’s head, facing to the left. The ram’s nostrils, mouth, eyes, chin hair and ears are incised, and its neck is decorated with granulation. A short horn rises from the top of its head and curves forward. The back side of the applique has two loops for attaching it to fabric. This applique was made by hammering a single sheet of gold and adding controlled drops of molten gold to the neck to form the granulation. It would have been attached originally to clothing, along with many other similar appliques. 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

Purchase, Mrs. Vladimir S. Littauer Gift, 1977