Panel fragment
Unknown Artist
ca. 8th–7th century BCE
Medium
Ivory
Dimensions
2 5/16 × 6 1/8 × 3/16 in. (5.9 × 15.6 × 0.4 cm)
Classification
Ivory/Bone-Reliefs
Culture & Period
Iran · Iron Age III
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.131.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate ivory panel fragment, dating to around the 8th–7th century BCE, hails from Iron Age III Iran and offers a glimpse into the artistry of the Ancient Near East. Carved in low relief, it features dynamic scenes of horses and human, likely capturing moments of elite life, processions, or equestrian prowess. At just 2 5/16 × 6 1/8 inches, its slender profile (a mere 3/16 inch thick) suggests it once adorned furniture, such as a throne or bed frame, in a high-status setting. Ivory, a prized luxury material sourced from elephants or possibly hippos via ancient trade routes, was carved w...