The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 24, 2022

Elk Fawn Finial

400-200 BC

Western Asia, Scythian, 5th-3rd Century BC

Gold, solid cast

Overall: 1.9 x 0.6 x 1.8 cm (3/4 x 1/4 x 11/16 in.)

Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1982.2

Location

102A Ancient Near East

Fun Fact

This artistically sensitive depiction of an elk fawn describes its features with great artistry, form harmonizing with function. Although a nomadic culture, the Scythians were noted as much for their virtuosity in metalwork as for their equestrian skills. Made of solid gold, this finial is an exquisite example of portable wealth.

Citations
Neils, Jenifer. “The Twain Shall Meet.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 72, no. 6, 1985, pp. 326–359. Reproduced: p. 327, fig. 2 www.jstor.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991. Reproduced: p. 11 archive.org
Exhibition history

CMA 1983: "Year in Review 1982," Bull., LXX (Jan. 1983), p. 50, no. 6, repr. p. 6

The Year in Review for 1982. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 5-February 6, 1983).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1982.2