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Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
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One of a pair of pendants depicting a "Dragon master", 1st century A.D.
Afghanistan, Tillya Tepe, tomb II
Gold, turquoise, garnet, and lapis lazuli; 4 7/8 x 2 1/2 in. (12.5 x 6.5 cm)
National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul, 04.40.109
Photo: © Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet
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This two-sided pendant—one of a pair—is among the most extraordinary objects found in the nomadic graves at Tillya Tepe. The pair were thought to have been worn suspended from a headdress along either side of the face. The theme of a human figure standing with animals to either side is well known in the art of the ancient Near East; it is understood to represent a heroic and dominant Master or Mistress of Animals. In this case, however, the animals are Chinese dragons with contorted bodies and reversed rear legs, but with the head and hooves of a horse—thus reflecting ties between China, the nomads of the Central Asian steppes, and regions further west. The theme of the "Master of Animals" makes a brief appearance in Chinese art in the third and fourth centuries.
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