Plaque

Amber plaque in the form of a feline face. The outline of the piece follows the contours of the feline face with curaves around ears, cheeks and muzzle. Solid grooves mark mouth, nose, eyes, ears and whiskers, whereas the nose is an hour-glass segment covering the centre of the plaque. The eyes are almond shapes with thick lids and oval pupils with trailing lower corners. Just below the level of the ears, a think horizontal channel drilled for suspension, with another hole drilled down from centre-top to meet it. Intact except for small chip on right corner. Surfaces dull, slightly abraded or eroded. The feline face is more symmetrical than most plaques in this style. Amber imported from the Baltic was a precious commodity in Etruria, and large pieces were only minimally carved to preserve their size. This would probably have been set into some valuable item of jewelry or ornamental furniture as a status symbol.