Belt plate: raptor attacking a tiger
This openwork plate was formerly attached to a leather strap and adorned the chest of a high-ranking personage. It formed a pair with a second similar plate, but designed as a mirror, the tiger facing left.
This type of belt plates has been found in a few graves and indicates the high social rank of the deceased. Combat scenes between two predators like here, or those showing a big cat, tiger, panther or wolf, devouring its prey are frequent. The wearing of such a plate could have taken on a protective function in the death but perhaps also during the chief's lifetime.
The culture of the nomadic horsemen of Eurasia was based on herding. The protection of herds against attacks by wild beasts during seasonal transhumance was necessary for the survival of the clan. The decoration of these plates thus represents the violence of wild nature, a constant threat and a fascinating spectacle.
Cartel:
Belt plate: raptor attacking a tiger
3e-1er century BC, North China, Xiongnu Empire
Bronze
H.7,5cm x W.12cm
MC 9352
Gift of the Society of Friends of the Cernuschi Museum, 1968
Photo credit :
© Paris Museums / Cernuschi Museum
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