A reproduction of an elegant stag-shaped brooch from the renowned Hermitage collection of ancient gold. The original, a 7th-century BC gold plaque found in the Kuban basin area, is one of the best works of Scythian art. The Scythians lived in the South Russia steppes during the 1st millennium BC and believed that the energy and magic power of certain worshipped animals could be transmitted to those whose weapons and clothes were decorated with such images.

Gilded bronze.
1 5/8 x 1 1/8 in.
(4.3 x 2.8 cm).