Ornament with back-to-back lions

This gold applique depicts two rampant lions back to back with their noses touching and tails intertwined. The lions’ feet are placed on the outer edge of the applique, which is bordered by three thick lines of gold. The lions’ mouths are open with their tongues sticking out. Their manes are rendered as thick lines radiating from the backs of their heads. Some musculature is indicated on their bodies with incised lines.

This applique was made by hammering a single sheet of gold and cutting out the openwork parts. It would have been attached originally to clothing, along with many other similar appliques. Some of the reliefs from Persepolis depicting the Persian king show decorations on his robe that are probably meant to represent appliques like this. Lions, signifying strength and raw power, were a popular feature of Achaemenid art, especially royal iconography.