Western Asiatic Urartian Votive Plaque

8th-6th century BC
A votive Urartian plaque of hammered manufacture formed as a male figure with raised hands, represented in mirrored format from the waist up; repoussé decoration with a double-dotted edge, triangles in relief surmounted by a circle (probably representing stylised human figures) located at the two opposed heads; the arms decorated with simple lines and geometric rhomboid figures, belt with dots in relief around the waist; fixing holes absent. 66 grams, 15.5 grams (6 1/8"). Fine condition, repaired.
Provenance
Property of a Mayfair lady; formerly in an important London collection formed since 1965.
Footnotes
The plaque is completely original in its pattern, although should be ascribed to the category of the votive bronze worked plaques, one hoard of which was found in the summer of 1971 in the village of Giyimli (Hirkanis) of the town Gurpinar, Vilayet Van. In this occasion approximately 2000 offering bronze plaques were found and other were excavated in 1972 by Prof. Dr. Afif Erzen of the Faculty of Letters, University of Istanbul. These objects, which should be dated to the Urartian period, were found together with belt fragments, horse frontals and pendants.