Furniture plaque: hawk
This piece belongs to a group of five carved ivory plaques probably found at the site of a palace at Acemhöyük in central Anatolia. Originally, they formed the composition of a falcon with outstretched wings grasping antelopes in its extended talons. The central plaque forms the head and body of the bird, finely carved to indicate the swelling of the breast, the stylized peregrine falcon cheek markings, and the large eyes with holes for inlaid pupils, now missing. Traces of gilding survive on the eyes and beak. The plaque is discolored with a combination of reddish areas, where iron oxides are present on the surface, and a gray hue that indicates the object was exposed to considerable heat, per ...
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c. 18th century B.C.
Ivory
11.2 x 5.8 x 9.7 cm
37.143.6
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019
Where you'll find this
Permanent collection