Rectangular Plaques (3)

This gold belt plaque decorated with an animal combat scene is a classic example of the type of ornament made for the nomadic elite of north China. It is hard to determine where these plaques were actually made since workers from all over northern China may have been forced to move to the Han-dynasty capital of Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an) after the Han defeat of the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C.E. The plaque would have been sewn onto a robe, as evidenced by the holes at the four corners.