Finial
Unknown Artist
Chariots and weapons were associated with hunting and warfare in the ancient world. Those bronze fittings with lavish inlaid decoration were status symbols of rulers and high-ranking officials.
This finial combines extravagance and ferocious beauty to reveal the aesthetics of the time. The birds with hooked beaks are above the intertwined serpent-dragons. Such artistic conception emphasizes the power of the bird in combat. Every facet of this finial is exquisitely crafted to give full play to the inlaid decoration.
Credit: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
475-221 BCE
Bronze inlaid with gold and silver
13.1cm
1930.730
Image and text: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2024