Please ID The Creature & Mark On This Wee Bronze Plaque

Discussion in 'Metalware' started by wlwhittier, Dec 15, 2022.

  1. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    It's 2 1/8" diameter, the ring is ~1/2" diameter, weight is 34 grams.
    It looks to be cast bronze, but that is perhaps wrong; it may have been made in some other way. The border is rope-molded. The maker's mark is a doubled symbol in a circle; that circle is ~5mm diameter.

    I call it a plaque because of the way the ring is mounted, to be surface-hung rather than worn. The wire wrapping on the ring won't pass through the plaque's tab. The green is an applied color, I believe...it's not verdigris.

    The creature has long, curved horns, a braided mane, upright ears and a slim neck. It doesn't look like a horse, to me anyway...but there are those hooves. Then there's that flame? issuing from its mouth...and the similar treatment of, and adjacent to, its tail. What's it all about, Alfie? As always, thanks for lookin'!

    C9DC5D6E-DA72-449F-98E2-C0575CF89006_1_201_a.jpeg 0610D696-6CC6-4B4F-9735-77BC2956D013_1_201_a.jpeg D46F5F09-79CB-4B5E-BC29-97AC9AF97178_1_201_a.jpeg 4822EAE7-3F28-440C-A227-6F24ED08AA37_1_201_a.jpeg 46EA24D8-F985-4905-BE8B-17560F84B897_1_201_a.jpeg
     
  2. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    It's like a medieval bestiary illustration of something like an oryx, when they had heard tales but never seen the animal.
     
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  3. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

  4. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    The creature escapes me at the moment, but the round mark in the middle on the back pretty obviously (to ME!) looks like two right facing Capital 'Rs' with a 'B' lying on it's side after the second 'R'......that's the FIRST image.....

    NEW MARK-gigapixel-art-scale-3_00x.jpg

    In the SECOND image, the marks are for the most part so tiny, impossible to read.....but the piece the ring GOES THRU where the top arrow is looks to have some numbers that starts with maybe a 2 or 7.....maybe a clean with a toothbrush and then a look-see with a loupe???? Can't read what's before that.... further down I can't decipher what I see as other possible writing either.....I think it may be too rough cast on the back to tell.......
    2nd MARKS-gigapixel-low_res-scale-2_00x.jpg
     
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  5. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    Stylized Ibex I like!! or even same for Gazelle maybe?????
     
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  6. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    Looks like someone made a mold of an original and cast a poor copy.
     
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  7. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    I wish there were more...but there are no characters at those points at all, viewed through a 10X triplet.
     
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  8. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    I agree with inh, it looks like an ibex.:)
    That curly ornamentation reminds me of Scythian art (which I love:happy:). Maybe Scythian inspired?

    @Aznathalie , Ukraine has beautiful Scythian art, does this look familiar to you?
     
  9. Aznathalie

    Aznathalie Well-Known Member

  10. Aznathalie

    Aznathalie Well-Known Member

  11. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    Thank you! What stunningly beautiful jewelry...I'll be looking for some of their silver, now that I'm aware of it. My sincere gratitude, Aznathalie!
     
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  12. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    The experts abound hereabouts! Thank you, AJ!
     
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  13. Aznathalie

    Aznathalie Well-Known Member

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