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Plate with king hunting rams

ca. mid-5th–mid-6th century CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 202
The king as hunter had become a standard royal image on silver plates during the reign of Shapur II (A.D. 310–379). The theme, symbolizing the prowess of Sasanian rulers, was used to decorate these royal plates, which were often sent as gifts to neighboring courts. The king has various royal attributes: a crown and fillet, covered globe, nimbus with beaded border, and beaded chest halter with fluttering ribbons. The identity of the Sasanian king on this plate is uncertain. His crown identifies him as either Peroz (r. 459–484) or Kavad I (r. 488–497, 499–531).

Sasanian silver bowls were usually hammered into shape and then decorated in various complex techniques. On this plate, separate pieces of silver were inserted into lips cut up from the plate to provide high relief. The vessel was then gilded using an amalgam of mercury and gold, which could be painted onto the surface, and niello—a metallic alloy of sulfur and silver—was inlaid. The result was a vessel of varied surface contours and colors.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Plate with king hunting rams
  • Period: Sasanian
  • Date: ca. mid-5th–mid-6th century CE
  • Geography: Iran, said at the time of the acquisition to have been found in Qazvin
  • Culture: Sasanian
  • Medium: Silver, mercury gilding, niello inlay
  • Dimensions: H. 1 7/8 in. (4.6 cm), Diam. 8 5/8 in. (21.9 cm)
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1934
  • Object Number: 34.33
  • Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art

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