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Seleucid or Parthian Cataphract and a Lion
Iraq, 3rd Century BC-2nd Century AD

Picture Source: CAIS

British Museum number	91908
Description	Flat fired clay perforated plaque showing in low moulded relief a heavily armoured horseman (cataphract) wearing scale or lamellar armour and a "coal skuttle" helmet, spearing a lion.
Culture/period	Seleucid or Parthian
Date	3rdC BC-2ndC
Findspot	Found/Acquired: Iraq
Materials	fired clay
Technique	moulded
Dimensions	Width: 19 centimetres
	Height: 15.2 centimetres
	Thickness: 2.3 centimetres

Curator's comments
The armour indicates that he belongs to a type of warrior known as a cataphract although it is surprising to see this being used in a hunting scene such as this. The holes may have been to enable attachment to a wooden coffin. Nicolle (1996: 8-9) refers to the horse having a substantial curb bit with large cheek pieces, and the warrior wearing a hat over his helmet as a typically Iranian and Central Asian practice, with a mail aventail hanging below, and a Central Asian-type sleeveless lamellar shirt. Sekunda proposes that the armour is scale rather than lamellar, and that it is late Seleucid or early Parthian in date.

There is a pair of holes at the top which appear to be original. At some point the object broke into two as there is a repaired crack extending diagonally from the top left to the centre bottom and the two pieces joined by using wire attached through two pairs of small holes, one on each side at the top and bottom of the crack.

Referenced as figure 48 in The military technology of classical Islam by D Nicolle
48. Plaque, undated Parthian, British Museum no.91908, London (Maz).