Urartian bronze belt fragment with a feline figure

This archaeological find comes from the period of the Kingdom of Urartu. It is a fragment of a bronze belt with a feline animal depicted in relief. According to the source, many researchers believe this is one of the oldest images of the Van cat.

Rows of raised dots run along the edges of the rectangular plate; in the centre are the animal’s head and body, surrounded by spiral patterns. On the left another metal part is attached to the plate.

Today the find is kept in the United States, in the private collection of Michael Renniger in Chicago. It is more than 2,800 years old.