Button

Unknown

ca. 1st century BCE–1st century CE · Bronze · Ancient Near Eastern Art

This is a bronze button made of sheet metal, with an attachment loop on one side. It was excavated at Shahr-i Qumis in northern Iran, which has been identified as the ancient city of Hecatompylos, established by the Parthians as their capital by about 200 B.C. In Greek Hecatompylos means ‘a hundred gates,’ suggesting that the city was quite large. Indeed, the modern archaeological site includes several mounds, only a few of which have been excavated, and a vast area covered with potsherds. The button was found at Site VI, a building which has been interpreted as a fortified garrison. The excavations at Shahr-i Qumis by the British Institute of Persian Studies in 1967 were co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. However, this button was not discovered until 1971, and it was acquired from the British Institute as a result of the Met’s financial contributions to the Institute’s excavations at Tepe Nush-i Jan, another site in Iran. At the time the Iranian government allowed foreign excavators to keep a portion of the finds, and these excavators in turn would divide their share among the institutions that supported the work.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1st century BCE–1st century CE

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Parthian

Department

Ancient Near Eastern Art

Credit line

Purchase, H. Dunscombe Colt Gift, 1978