On a bed of bright gold, a naked couple lies in passionate embrace. Their actions are universal, transcendent of time or culture, infinitely old and as new tomorrow. The image is erotic, but in an unblushing, life-affirming way. Its power is undeniably, most essential communication between two human beings. The original function of this remarkable talisman is unknown. It may have been an offering to ensure a fertile marriage, a guardian of sexual potency, a gift between lovers. Its precious gold hints at a noble owner. The two winged monsters that guard the bed and the female figures that support it suggest an eastern origin, perhaps from Persia, or Greece. It radiates with the perfume of life itself, mysterious yet at the same time completely familiar.