SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The present paper brings to light a new Sasanian or Sasanian-inspired relief from Taq-e Bostan, which has been escaped from the attention of scholarly discourse for two decades now. This figured relief plaque was likely to have been applied to architecture; presumably intended to be set into a wall-niche of an aristocratic dwelling. The relief features an equestrian mounted rider vanquishing two lying figures. The triumphant rider is represented in a three quarter profile with a face in complete frontal view. The goddess Nike flies toward the rider to bestow victory on him. The composition layout of the relief is relatively uncommon within the corpus of Sasanian rock reliefs and diplomatic silver-gilt plates with hunting scenes – it occurs on the post-Sasanian silver plates and on the figural stucco of late Umayyad or early Abbasid date. This article sets out to discuss the morphological characteristics of the images on the plaque and to find their parallels in Sasanian and post-Sasanian royal iconography. In addition, it seeks to interpret the symbols and iconographic motifs represented on the plaque.