The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Special Exhibitions: Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul

Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul


Ceremonial Plaque depicting Cybele on her chariot, early 3rd century B.C. Afghanistan, Aï Khanum Gilded silver; D. 1/25–2/25 in. x Diam. 9 7/8 in. (1–2 mm x 25 cm) National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul, 04.42.7 Photo: © Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet

One of the oldest antiquities found at Aï Khanum, this spectacular disk depicts Cybele, the goddess of nature, and Nike, the personification of Victory, on a chariot drawn by two lions through a mountainous landscape. It is a remarkable example of hybrid Greek and Oriental imagery that typified the arts of Hellenized Asia. Ancient Near Eastern features include: the parasol—a royal symbol—here held by a priest; the stepped altar; the shape of the chariot; the scalloped pattern indicating mountainous terrain; and the moon crescent and the star. The cult of Cybele originated in Anatolia but had long been adopted by the Greeks. Also borrowed from the Greek tradition are the representation of the winged Nike, the bust of the sun god Helios, and the naturalistic rendering of the drapery and the lions. The overall composition of the scene, however, lacking any indication of perspective, is more typical of Near Eastern art.