鎏金奔羊紋青銅牌飾|Plaque in the Shape of an Ibex

Art Historical Context

This exquisite gilt bronze plaque, shaped as a dynamic running ibex, hails from North China during the 3–1st century BCE turbulent era spanning the late Warring States period into the early Han dynasty. just 3¼ inches high and 1¾ inches wide, this delicate metalwork piece (on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art department captures the wild grace of the ibex, a mountain goat symbolizing agility and the rugged northern steppes. Likely used as a decorative ornament for belts, horse gear, or clothing, it reflects the cultural exchanges along China's northern frontiers, where nomadic...