**Originally Listed At $600**

Central Asia, northwestern India, Kushan Empire, ca. 1st to 3rd centuries CE. A wonderful, rare plaque made from a bright orange-red terracotta and painted entirely white showing a princely figure standing beside a long-necked heron. Man and bird are in relief, surrounded by a border decorated with tightly-spaced, low relief, six-petaled flowers. The heron has wonderful stippled details that give it a feathered look on its neck. The prince wears elaborate clothing and has a small face with a large mouth. He holds his hands to his stomach and wears a sash and a wrapped skirt. Comes with custom stand. Size: 3.95" W x 7.55" H (10 cm x 19.2 cm); height on stand: 7.8" (19.8 cm).

The Kushan Empire controlled part of the Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean, and its position as a crossroads led to the creation of a dynamic fusion culture. Plaques like this one give us a hint to the elaborate clothing and personal ornamentation that elite people wore during this period. Most articles of Kushan clothing were heavily decorated with metal plaques and beads, as the sash here suggests; also shown on this plaque are the earrings, torques, bracelets, and elaborate headgear they favored. The pointed headdress is a sign of a Kushan prince. It seems likely that the figure depicted here represents a real individual, perhaps modeled from life.

Provenance: Ex-private East Coast, USA Collection

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#121012

Repaired from three or four large pieces, but repairs are well done and difficult to see. Small losses to upper left and lower right corners as shown.