Agate scepter head. Culture: Cypriot. Dimensions: length 6 in. (15.2 cm). Date: ca. 950 B.C..Scepter and mace heads are well-attested Cypriot implements, but this example is exceptional in the magnificence of its material, which is matched by the precision of its execution. The head itself is set on an iron shaft. During the Late Geometric and Archaic periods, rulers of the major centers of Cyprus gained considerable wealth from natural resources, notably copper, and from active trade, in which the Phoenicians were conspicuous. The luxurious and finely wrought objects with which these kinds surrounded themselves are particularly well represented by this scepter and by the bowls in precious metals exhibited nearby. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.