Getty Museum

Armored Belt Fragment

Date

6th century B.C.

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Near Eastern (Urartian)

Department

Implements

Institution

Getty Museum

Three rows of horsemen and chariots engaged in a lion hunt decorate this bronze relief fragment from an armored belt. Rosettes separate individual scenes in each frieze. A lion pursues a chariot along the left side of all three rows. Although the metal is heavily corroded in this area, the chariot undoubtedly held two figures—the charioteer and an archer, who would have turned to confront the attacking animal. On the right side of each rosette an archer on horseback faces backwards with his bow drawn and arrow aimed in the direction of the lion. The figures wear conical caps or helmets. On the right side of the bottom row the back end of a composite bird-man, also an archer, is preserved. The decoration is typical of Urartrian belts. Small holes along the top and bottom edges of the relief would have been used to attach the fragment to the leather strap of the belt.

The authoritative record is held by Getty Museum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.