The golden plate — an overlay for a vessel — was found in 1986 in the burial mound of the Rostov Oblast, near the village of Vesyoly. In ancient times, such a peculiar decoration was used to adorne ritual bowls, the purpose of which scientists have not yet fully found out.

Researchers note that the hemispherical wooden bowls with golden plates most likely belonged to male warriors — in most cases they were found along with weapons. Maybe such vessels were intended for the funeral rite and testified to the valour of its owner. Scientists also have a theory that the number of such bowls at the buried indicates the number of defeated enemies.

However, due to the poor preservation of wood, few products of this kind have survived to this day. Mostly these are partially preserved vessels with golden plates or some golden overlays that archaeologists found in rich Scythian graves. The plates did not completely cover the bowl, but only the lip, the upper part of the body and the handle, if there was one. The lip could be covered either in whole or in part. The decorative elements were attached to the vessel with small golden nails.

The square plate from the collection of the Azov museum-reserve is made of thin gold foil. In the centre is depicted a deer with tucked legs and unnaturally long and graceful branching antlers that flow into griffin heads.