Armor scales

Unknown

ca. 4th century BCE · Iron, leather · Ancient Near Eastern Art

These three rows of overlapping iron scales, now badly corroded, are attached to a poorly preserved leather backing. They were once part of a piece of armor, most likely a breastplate. According to the Greek historian Herodotus (7.61.1), the Persian soldier’s in King Xerxes’ army in 480 B.C. wore armor ‘looking like the scales of a fish.’ They were excavated at the Tall-i Takht at Pasargadae, about 55 miles northeast of Shiraz, Iran. Pasargadae was founded by Cyrus the Great (reigned ca. 550-530 B.C.) as the first capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The Tall-i Takht is an elevated platform that was presumably intended as the site of Cyrus’ palace. In later years it served as a fortified citadel, and these scales probably date to this period of later use.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 4th century BCE

Medium

Iron, leather

Culture

Achaemenid

Department

Ancient Near Eastern Art

Credit line

Purchase, H. Dunscombe Colt Gift, 1978