A PAIR OF LARGE GOLD ‘RAM’ ORNAMENTS, EURASIAN STEPPES, CIRCA 3RD-2ND CENTURY BC OR EARLIER

Each exquisitely worked in the form of a recumbent ram shown in profile, resting on its legs tucked beneath the muscular body, the broad neck twisted to turn the head towards its rear. The animals are well detailed with round eyes, long funnel-shaped ears, beneath pronounced brow ridges, tapered snouts, and long ears. Each composition is framed on one side by the large, curling horn of the ram, embellished with a sequence of highly stylized bird heads, all enclosed within neatly chased, rope-like contours. (2)

Provenance: From a private collection in Europe, acquired around 1985-1990. According to the previous owner, he paid approx. EUR 80,000 for the present lot at the time.
Condition: Very good condition with expected wear and irregularities, few minuscule nicks and dents, occasional small surface scratches, light warping, minor losses, and signs of burial including encrustations.
Metallurgy: Analysis confirms a gold content ranging from circa 18 to 20 carats, consistent with the purity levels found in early Han dynasty goldworks from China. Such high-purity alloys were typically reserved for royalty and the military elites.

Weight: 109.7 g and 116.6 g (excl. stands), total weight 226,3 g
Dimensions: Length 21 cm (each), Height 27.5 cm (each incl. stand)

Each with an associated wood and metal stand. (4)

During the first millennium BC, many horse-riding nomadic tribes exerted control over the vast Eurasian steppes to the north of the Black and Caspian Seas. Among them, the Scythians, who settled primarily in the Pontic steppe region, were vividly described by the Greek historian Herodotus in his Histories, where he also mentioned related groups such as the Massagetae, Sarmatians, and Saka. Contemporary Chinese sources refer to similar nomadic confederations under names such as the Xiongnu or Hsiung-nu. But beyond literary accounts, much of what is known about these cultures derives from the archaeological evidence recovered from their burial mounds, which have yielded remarkable metal objects, such as the present sumptuous gold plaque, crafted in a variety of styles. These objects testify to the intense intercultural exchanges that occurred across territories historically traversed by the Silk Road, extending from northern China to the Persian Empire and the eastern Mediterranean.

Scythian art flourished between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC, after which the Scythians were progressively displaced from much of their territory by the Sarmatians. Following this shift, rich burial goods largely disappear from Scythian sites along the Black Sea coast. In its earlier phases, Scythian art was characterized by dynamic and stylized animal figures [Fig. 1], forms that exerted a lasting influence across Eurasia, from China to the Celtic cultures of Europe.

These animal-style compositions were noted for their intricate design, in which stylized creatures, such as stags, horses, rams, bears, and mythical beasts, were depicted in dynamic poses, often twisted, contorted, or locked in combat [Fig. 2]. A recurrent motif was the crouching animal with legs tucked beneath the body, upright head, and taut musculature [Fig. 3]. Other distinctive features, such as the ‘looped’ antlers of certain animals further characterize these designs [Fig. 4]. Such motifs were frequently applied to plaques, clasps, and weapons, often fashioned from gold and silver, enhanced with inlays of precious stones. Many of these elements show clear stylistic affinities with artistic traditions from the Far East.

The motif of the eagle-headed griffin was adopted from Western Asian iconography and appears primarily at sites with documented links to that region, for example, in the Kelermes kurgan, a burial mound in the North Caucasus near the Kurban River. The present plaque, adorned with bird-like heads decorating the horn of the ram, echoes this West Asian influence, as do other examples that incorporate the same motif in a more stylized form [Fig. 5]. Representations of griffins became rare in Scythian art following the tribe’s withdrawal from Western Asia, and later depictions are often distorted.

From the early 18th century, under the patronage of Tsar Peter I of Russia, systematic archaeological explorations were undertaken in Siberia, the Ingala Valley, and the Tobol region (present-day Kazakhstan). These expeditions uncovered gold and electrum objects associated with Scythian people and related cultures, many of which were presented to the Imperial Court as archaeological treasures and curiosities. These acquisitions became the foundation of the later Imperial Siberian Collection. Throughout the 19th century, further excavations of burial mounds in the North Caucasus, Crimea, Taman, and Ukraine, financed by the Russian Imperial Court, brought to light additional gold plaques. In 1859, during the reign of Emperor Alexander II, an imperial decree formally transferred all such objects from the Imperial Collection to the Hermitage Museum, where they remain on display to this day.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related gold belt buckle with paired felines attacking ibexes, Mongolia or Southern Siberia, Xiongnu period, dated c. 3rd-2nd century BC, 8.0 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 17.190.1672. Compare a related silver belt plaque in the shape of a crouching horse, North China, dated 3rd-1st century BC, 14.5 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1985.214.78. Compare a related gold plaque in the shape of a grazing kulan, Northwest China, Xiongnu period, dated 2nd-1st century BC, 4.3 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2002.201.118.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 5 July 2023, lot 64
Price: GBP 100,800 or approx. EUR 125,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Scythian gold stag appliqué, c. late 5th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the related overall manner of hammering, as well as the crouching pose of the animal with similarly tucked legs and curved antlers. Note the much smaller size (5.8 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 2 April 2014, lot 34
Price: GBP 37,500 or approx. EUR 68,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Scythian gold boar bracteate, c. late 5th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the related overall manner of hammering, as well as the crouching pose of the animal with similarly tucked legs and upright ears. Note the much smaller size (5.2 cm).

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