Votive offerings were often designed as representations of the gods to which they were dedicated, or occasionally as worshippers of the deity. These figures could be placed at a temple, religious site, or household shrine in order to invoke protection or favour from the god. The hand gestures of this figurine likely hold some religious significance, although exact details of the ritual practices of the peoples who inhabited the Luristan region remain unknown.
Luristan bronze comes from areas of modern day western Iran. In the ancient world it was settled by a number of peoples, such as the Medes, the Kassites, and eventually the Persians. Due to the nomadic nature of many of these civilisations, none of the Luristan bronzes were of great size, since it was required for them to be light and portable. Archaeologists have found enough bronze in the region to suggest it wasn’t a particularly expensive material, and that these objects would have belonged to people with a variety of economic backgrounds.