Clay plaque

This plaque shows a man wearing the typical Parthian dress of a belted tunic worn over loose baggy trousers, reclining with one elbow on a patterned mattress. This manner of repose is shown in contemporary Parthian and Roman art, and in miniature in other Parthian clay plaques. However, this piece is unique for two reasons. Firstly, the figure is not holding the customary drinking bowl, and secondly it is inscribed. The inscription is in Parthian script and is a dedication to the god Mitra, better known as Mithras.