A superb Sumerian silver appliqué with a repoussé design of two figures. The piece features a square shape and displays two frontal figures composed of a large bust with four bosses which represent the body, produced using the repoussé technique. There are four small perforations, one at each corner of the piece, for suspension. Sumer is the site of the earliest known civilization, located in the southernmost part of Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The first civilisation in Sumer was that of the Ubaidians – they actively practised agriculture; developed trade; and established industries, including weaving, leatherwork, metalwork, masonry, and pottery. The Sumerians are notable for a number of reasons; they created the oldest known writing system, known as cuneiform, the wheel, early mathematics, law and literature, and were some of the first brewers of beer. Measurements: L 1.5cm x W 1.5cm Provenance: Ex SM London collection, 1969-1999.