Plaque in the form of a reclining man

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This terracotta plaque features a figure reclining on a couch covered with a herringbone and stripe pattern. Identifiable as male due to his clothing, trousers and a belted, knee-length tunic, he is beardless, wears disk-shaped earrings and holds a cup in his left hand. His torso is angled so that the whole figure is seen from the front. Only a few other terracotta examples of figures in Parthian clothing exist, such as riders on horseback, soldiers, and musicians. Greek terracottas often feature reclining figures, usually males. The use of the pose among ancient Near Eastern plaques and figurines may indicate ties to Greek terracotta manufacturing centers along the eastern Mediterranean coast, although they typically depict females.

Ancient Near Eastern Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art cares for approximately 7,000 works ranging in date from the eighth millennium B.C. through the centuries just beyond the emergence of Islam in the seventh century A.D. Objects in the collection were created by people in the area that today comprises Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean coast, Yemen, and Central Asia. From the art of some of the world's first cities to that of great empires, the department's holdings illustrate the beauty and craftsmanship as well as the profound interconnections, cultural and religious diversity, and lasting legacies that characterize the ancient art of this vast region.

Metropolitan Museum of Art