Dog-Shaped Plaque

This plaque takes the form of a long-legged animal facing right. The rendering is very stylized, but a horse, wolf, or even dog may be the subject. The hindlimbs are slightly longer than the forelimbs. The paws are joined at the bottom of the forelimbs, with a small separation between the upper legs, while the hindlimbs are entirely joined, with a vertical incision to indicate separation (the same line is also rendered on the reverse). The body is flat, with a slight taper at the waist and a rounded rump. The head is modeled in the round, with a cylindrical snout; two circular impressions and a horizontal line on the end of the snout indicate nostrils and the mouth. While no indication of eye or ear can be seen on the facing side of the plaque, on the reverse a raised circular lump may represent an eye, with another lump, perhaps a flattened ear, behind. Two vertical loops are present on the reverse of the plaque, above the fore- and hindlimbs (1). The loops are circular in section; only one loop (6 mm high) is preserved. A thin rope or leather thong could have been passed through the loops to attach the plaque. NOTES: 1. Compare similar loops on the reverse of 2003.246. See also U. Jäger and S. Kansteiner, Ancient Metalwork from the Black Sea to China in the Borowski Collection (Ruhpolding, 2011) 142, no. 201. Lisa M. Anderson