This magnificent relief plaque in the Scythian Animal Style once formed the centrepiece of a shield. It is in the form of a panther, its tail and paws ringed with small feline beasts of prey. The naturalistic representation of the panther’s mouth with its bared teeth (despite the schematized treatment of eye and nostrils, indicated by mere circles) and the use of the cloisonne technique to decorate the ear suggest that the craftsman was acquainted with the art of the ancient East. From the Krasnodar region of Russia, Kuban area, discovered in the Kelermes burial mound N1.
