Two Plaques of Double Horned Winged Sphinxes. Silver. H. 6.9, 6.8; W. 3.7, 3.5 cm. Issyk, Semirechye-Zhetisu, 5th–4th century BCE. Museum of Archaeology, Almaty: MA: 35 a, b. Photography by Viktor Kharchenko © Museum of Archaeology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty

These plaques of sphinxes with lion bodies, bearded male heads wearing horned caps, and curved wings were inspired by Achaemenid representations. Since nomads tended not to work in silver, it is likely that these objects were imported directly from the Achaemenid world.