Graceful and elegant, this votive dish evokes the dawn of western culture. With a cache of related artifacts, it was found along the shores of Lake Van in Armenia. Centuries ago, it was offered at the shrine of a powerful nature god, one whose cult was concerned also with the afterlife and rebirth. The exact function of the dish is uncertain, but it may once have held an offering of food or incense. The intaglios on the inside depict a seated figure, most likely a cult idol, surrounded by two horned animals and a duck. On the base is another image of a waterfowl, perhaps used to create multiple images in soft wax or clay. Were these intended to promote the fertility of nature? The eternal peace of the soul? A token of a vanished world, its mystery adds to its appeal.