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Ornamental Plaque

China

Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)

Not on view

Depicted here is a lively scene of riders and various animals, including a dragon. It bears an astonishing affinity to ornaments found at Tillya Tepe, in northern Afghanistan, attesting to China’s overland trade with distant lands.

#214. Plaque ornament

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Ornamental Plaque, Gold inlaid with agate, turquoise, and mother-of-pearl, China

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