6th-5th century BC. A gold bracelet with animal head terminals; a jewellery item crafted by bending a piece of heavy gold sheet into an oval band with an in-swing in the hoop opposite the terminals; concave to the top side to receive rectangular strips of lapis lazuli inlay, still extant in parts; terminals formed as the forequarters of two lions, heads turned to look along their backs, open jaws revealing teeth, hatching decoration suggests the texture of their manes, delicate details to their heads and faces; mounted on a custom-made stand. See Curtis, J, and Tallis, N, edn., Forgotten Empire, The British Museum, London, 2006, pp.138-139, for a comparable bracelet; See Tait, Hugh, 7000 Years of Jewellery, p.66-67, 118-119, for the specific shape of the bangle.235 grams total, bracelet: 87mm (3 1/2"). Property of a gentleman living in central London; previously Cahn Auktionen AG, 13 November 2015, lot 97; formerly with Pierre Bergé & Associés, Archéologie, 15 December 2009, lot 293 [45,000-50,000 euros for a pair]; from the Faraj Mahdi Mohamed Ali collection, England, 1952; accompanied by copies of the relevant Cahn Auktionen AG and Pierre Bergé & Associés catalogue pages. A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website.