Period:Period of Tibetan Empire Date:7th–9th century Culture:China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Central Asia) Medium:Gold Dimensions:Diam. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm) Classification:Metalwork Credit Line:Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 2002 Accession Number:2002.556.3 The nomadic communities of Central Asia used such plaques to embellish clothing and horse trappings. As these nomadic cultures herded animals and were constantly moving, their artistic production was expressed in portable objects that marked the wearer’s status and wealth. The outstanding preservation of these fragile ornaments suggests they were used in conjunction with burials, where the body was aggrandized with valuable textiles and augmented with gold. Although it is difficult to date and place these objects geographically, their presence in Central Asia and has a long, established history.
Period:Period of Tibetan Empire Date:7th–9th century Culture:China (Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Central Asia) Medium:Gold Dimensions:Diam. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm) Classification:Metalwork Credit Line:Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 2002 Accession Number:2002.556.3 The nomadic communities of Central Asia used such plaques to embellish clothing and horse trappings. As these nomadic cultures herded animals and were constantly moving, their artistic production was expressed in portable objects that marked the wearer’s status and wealth. The outstanding preservation of these fragile ornaments suggests they were used in conjunction with burials, where the body was aggrandized with valuable textiles and augmented with gold. Although it is difficult to date and place these objects geographically, their presence in Central Asia and has a long, established history.