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The mystery behind the person who wore this gold ornament

"So rarely do we get a real snapshot of an individual."

"So rarely do we get a real snapshot of an individual."

Curator Fiona Kidd on a gold belt adornment with an eagle and its prey, presumably worn by someone in a position of power.

Explore this object:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/322485

Throughout 2013, The Met invited curators from across the Museum to each talk about one artwork that changed the way they see the world.

Photography by Peter Zeray

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Contributors

Fiona Kidd
Assistant Curator, Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art

Close-up of a Queen of Clubs playing card with a cut-out section. Behind it, a faded, ghostly face is visible, creating a surreal, mysterious mood.
The artist’s work challenges the social and political context of mass incarceration.
Lisa Sutcliffe
April 28
A sheet of paper with a figure and cutout outfits for dressing up paper dolls.
Historic paper dolls from the Drawings and Prints collection tell a story of conspicuous consumption and evolving social values.
Liliya Dashevski
March 12
Photo image of The Great Hall of the Met, with hanging calligraphy paintings
Explore how the Taiwanese artist’s Great Hall Commission invites a transhistorical conversation about the art of writing
Lesley Ma
February 28
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Belt adornment with an eagle and its prey, Gold, turquoise inlay, Parthian or Kushan
Parthian or Kushan
ca.1st–2nd century CE