One of a pair (with 1990.10.2), this striding griffin in profile was formed on a single mold and cut out before firing. This relief plaque may have been applied as part of a frieze around a sarcophagus or an applique on another object or vessel. Traces of gold still visible on the surface suggest the brilliance of the pure gold foil that once decorated the entire relief. Such seemingly modest plaques as this griffin attest to the artistry of the Tarantine coroplasts (when Taranto was one of the Greek colonies in southern Italy) as well as the high regard and popularity held by the ancient consumers. Fantastic animals, among them griffins, were part of the iconographic repertoire in ancient Near Eastern, Minoan/Cretan, Mycenaean, and early Greek art in the 8th century BC from contacts among these major Mediterranean powers.