Tiger Plaque

With its head turned to face the viewer and tail bent over its back, this tiger tramples a deer whose head and antlers are shown between the fore and hind legs. This animal combat theme was popular among the nomadic tribes who inhabited the Eurasian steppes and the northern borders of China during the first millennium B.C.E. A plaque such as this would have been attached to some portable item such as clothing, a tent or perhaps a horse harness.

Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust