Ancient Near East, Achaemenid Persian Empire, ca. 550 to 330 BCE. A gorgeous stamped gold ornament/applique depicting a Sphinx with a bearded, male head, in a seated position, with its large, curved wing raised over its back. On the back are three tiny loops for suspension, presumably for sewing this item onto clothing. Two very similar examples where the Sphinx is portrayed standing are in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum (4653), found as grave goods in Sardis, the capitol of Anatolia under the Achaemenids. The Sphinx symbol relates to royal power, repeated over and over again in Achaemenid iconography: on cylinder seals, monumental art, and in glyphs. The wearer of this item would have been emphasizing their connection to royalty. Size: 1.15" W x 1" H (2.9 cm x 2.5 cm); (0.9 g)

The Achaemenid love of silver and gold was famous throughout the ancient world. Plato wrote of how the acquisition of gold and silver was considered a virtue while Alcibiades, another Athenian, wrote of the enormous wealth in gold and silver that the Persians had. In a society where flaunting wealth was important, gold items like this would have been prized possessions, demonstrating the high social status of its wearer.

Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection acquired before 2000

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#122333

Slight deformation of form, but details are very clear. Slight encrustation of red deposits in the lower profile areas.