Noseband with Head of Fantastic Creature

This gold noseband was made in the form of a head of a fantastic creature situated on a narrowed, in the middle, shaped base. Its jaw is wide open, the tongue is protruded, and long ears raised. There`s a round-through hole in the base of the beast`s neck. The base is decorated along the edge with a geometrical ornament of circles and notches. Details were made with deep carving.
The noseband was a part of the bridle set from the central burial of Ohuz burial mound. Ohuz is considered to be the largest barrow in the steppe Scythia.
Scientists assume that the burrow could be the tomb of the Scythian king Ateas. Excavation of the barrow began in the 19th century, but complete research of the finding was finished in 1980. The central grave with the remains of a Scythian king was 6 meters underground. In the north “wing”, a woman's burial site was located, supposedly of the king`s wife or daughter. In the west “wing,” unidentified skeletons of a grown man and a teenager were found. Inside Ohuz barrow, archaeologists found different jewellery made of silver and gold, antique dishes, and bone decorations of a sarcophagus. It should be noted that some part of the treasures was stolen by “black archaeologists”, and some part was moved to the territory of Russia, where they were included in the State Hermitage collection.