Gold feline figure

A gold feline figurine from Mapungubwe in South Africa. This unique gold for of a feline with a long broad tail probably depicts a leopard in a stalking position. It is comprised by reconstruction of approximately 65 individual gold foil fragments. The outer surface is heavily scarred and abraded, and exhibits tooling marks used to originally shape it over a wooden core, a multitude of perforations are also visible. The figure has two folded ears fixed at alternate angles on either side of the head, but there is no indication of eyes. There is a thick, broad tail, which is positioned at a curved angle and small upturned gold segment on the lower rump. There are five distinctive engraved lines on the rear flanks suggesting ribs. The gold has been dated to CE 1250 - CE 1290- this is the Iron Age period of southern Africa. The archaeological landscape of Mapungubwe in South Africa was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The Mapungubwe Collection is stewarded under the University of Pretoria where the archaeological collection is on public exhibition for the purposes of research and education.