Clothing Ornaments Depicting Black Sea Eagles

Description There are six pairs of gold plaques done in repoussé relief, showing confronting birds of prey, one devouring a fish. The plaques are pierced at the birds' bills, tails, wings and feet suggesting they were sewn on clothing as ornaments. Robert Zahn (Galerie Bachstitz, pp. 31, 35, plate 30) considered the birds Black Sea eagles, often represented on the coinage of Pontic cities.

Exhibitions

• Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1979-1980.

Provenance [Said to be from a tomb near Olbia, Parutino, Ukraine]; Peter Mavrogordato [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; F. L. van Gans, Frankfurt [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Galerie Bachstitz, The Hague; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1921, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1921