An Ordos bronze stag plaque Circa 5th-3rd Century B.C. 10cm wide Footnotes: Provenance: with F.E. Nejad, Zurich, since at least 1988. London art market, acquired from the above 6 November 1988. Anonymous sale; Timeline Auctions, London, 24-28 November 2020, lot 346, where acquired by the present owner. Recumbent deer are a standard motif of 'Animal Style' decorative arts, represented as early as the 8th Century B.C. on Scythian artifacts. It has been suggested that 'recumbent deer had special significance: some scholars believe they represent a sacrificial animal, but others interpret them as celestial deer worshipped as deities by these nomads' (St J. Simpson, Scythians: Warriors of Ancient Siberia, the British Museum, London, p. 144; see the Scythian-era plaques, nos. 78-81). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing