Cloisonne furniture plaque with an infant on a lotus flower ca. 8th century B.C. Assyrian An infant sits in profile on an elaborately carved lotus flower that emerges from a double volute in this fragmentary plaque. Wearing a long robe, he presses one finger to his lips. This Egyptianizing motif, as well as the slender, flowing carving style and embellishments with the cloisonné inlay technique, are all characteristic of Phoenician artistry. Several other elements also drawn from Egyptian art include the wesekh broad collar, sidelock, and crown with a horizontal rams horn. The motif of an infant sitting on a lotus flower is known from Egyptian art where it evokes the birth of Horus, the Egyptian sky god, and is also associated with the birth of Ra, the Egyptian sun god. This imagery became significant in the Nile Valley during the Third Intermediate Period, a time that coincided with Phoenician presence in the Levant. While the instrument held by the infant does not survive intact, it