Achaemenid Gold Clad Silver Birds Pendant. 6th-4th century BC. A bifacial silver pendant shaped as two facing birds with large circular gilt eyes, heart-shaped stone between the heads, hatching to the body, continued on the reverse, raised and gilt cells to each body in the shape of stylised flowers, drum-shaped finial below with circumferential band of gilt cells, waisted knops and suspension loop.See The British Museum, museum number 1994,1004.1, for a bird's head similar in style to that of the birds decorating the body of the pendant offered here; see museum number 132899, for a similar stylised flower formed from raised cells; see The Metropolitan Museum, accession number 47.100.87, for a vessel decorated with gilt birds with comparable hatching to the bodies.101 grams, 119cm (4 3/4"). From a private family collection formed in London from the mid 1980s-early 1990s; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no. 10652-174207.