Exhibit of November 2021: Sandal-shaped plate

Sandal-shaped plate 

Silver, gilding 

Trebenishte necropolis, Ohrid region 

Grave 7 

End of 6th c. BC 

The excavations of the necropolis near Trebenishte, Ohrid region, began with an accidental find during the repair of the Ohrid-Kichevo road in the spring of 1918, at the end of the First World War. Seven rich warrior graves from the end of the 6th c. BC were discovered then with preserved parts of weapons, bronze, glass and ceramic vessels, jewellery and insignia related to the funeral rite. In 1930 another rich grave was excavated. Subsequently, large-scale excavations were carried out in 1953-1954 and 1972 when relatively poorer graves were discovered from the end of the 7th to the beginning of the 4th c. BC.  

Among the find in one of the rich graves are two fragments of a plate of thin gold sheet cut in the shape of a sandal. The upper part and a small fragment from the lower one are missing. In the upper part, only the tips of three leaves pointed inwards are preserved, probably from an 8-leaf rosette. Six-leaf rosette beneath it, with symmetrical leaves pointed outwards. Smaller leaves between them and circles between the tips of the leaves. The rosette is inscribed in three dotted circles in relief. Beneath it, a broad strip, outlined with dotted lines. Another dotted line divides it in two. Each band contains a frieze of lotuses. The decoration is hammered on a matrix. A row of repoussé dots along the edge of the plate. Parts of the decoration are identical to the ornaments on the pectoral from the same grave, and on the plate form Grave 6.

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