Royal Archer Necklace

Across the vast Achaemenid Empire, the image of the royal archer became one of the most recognisable symbols of Persian authority.

The empire's gold coin, known as the daric, was introduced under Darius I toward the end of the 6th century BC and remained an important form of Achaemenid coinage for generations. Weighing roughly 8.4 grams, these gold coins formed part of the monetary system developed by the Persian kings alongside the silver siglos.

At the heart of the design was the royal archer. Across different coin types, the figure appears wearing Persian royal dress and carrying weapons associated with kingship and warfare. On one important group, the figure moves forward in the distinctive kneeling-running pose, holding a bow in one hand and a spear in the other, with a quiver carried behind.

The precise identity of the figure has long been discussed. It is traditionally interpreted as the Persian king, although scholars have also considered whether the image represents a broader royal or heroic figure. What is clear is that the design was deliberately associated with Achaemenid power and was repeated across generations of imperial coinage.

A surviving gold daric in The Metropolitan Museum of Art dates to approximately the 4th century BC and preserves this extraordinary royal imagery in miniature. The reverse of such coins was typically marked not with another detailed image, but by an irregular incuse punch created during striking.

Inspired by these remarkable coins, the Royal Archer Necklace reimagines the image of Achaemenid Persia's royal archer in gold — carrying a symbol of ancient Persian authority into a piece made to be worn today.