Appliqué in the Shape of a Stag

Small, flat appliqué in the shape of a stag with its legs folded under the body. The animal is simplified and essentially reduced to its silhouette. There is no attachment loop at the back, but the piece could easily have been sewn onto a garment by making use of the openings below antler and belly. Stags with folded legs and prominent antlers were a popular motif across the Eurasian steppes. Small bronze garment plaques with similar stag imagery have been found in northeastern China, a mountainous region where deer would have been a common sight. Dark grayish patina.