site.btaBronze Scale Weight Figure of Man Exhibit of the Month for January of National Archaeological Museum

A bronze scale weight figure of a man dating from the 1st century Ad is the exhibit of the month for January of the National Archaeological Museum. Discovered in the village of Bashanli of what was once called Karaagach district, the artefact entered the Museum collection in 1933.

A grotesque figure of a kneeling man with a bent forward body, wearing a short mantle. The hands are folded in front of the chest, tied together at the wrists. The head is shaved, leaving a strand on the crown. The ears are large, and there are two holes at the top, probably for earrings. The face has prominent cheekbones, a long and crooked, hyperbolized nose.

 The image is of marked foreign origin. The feet are bare. There is a loop on the back of the figure for suspension, possibly imitating a hump. The weight is cast, hollow.

The artefact is part of the temporary exhibition marking 130 years of the National Archaeological Museum which will be on display until February 5 in the institution's Temporary Exhibition Hall.