Pair of Belt Buckles Dragons by the Tree of Life Sakae Culture 4th-5th century BC Gold, sard, prase, black stone L 19.8 (19.2) cm, w 10.4 (10.2) cm The composition, framed with a rectangular arrangement of inlaid leaves, consists of two fantastic creatures standing on each side of a tree of life. The creatures' bodies are twisted around and the ends of their noses are inlaid with sard. Such compositions with beasts standing on each side of the tree of life reflect an Assyrian-Babylonian scheme.