Luristan Bronze Horse-Bit with Ram Cheek-Pieces

£1,650.00

A very fine Luristan bronze horse-bit featuring cheek-pieces stylised as rams. The rams are depicted naturalistically, with careful sculpted anatomical features. The heads display two, curved horns at the top, separated from the face by two horizontal bands. The facial features are delicately rendered, with round eyes and a detailed snout. The rams stand on a horizontal base and feature a central hole through the body in which a straight mouthpiece is held in place. The mouthpiece presents a rounded loop at one end, and the other end is slightly flared so as to prevent detachment. The design is both elaborate and functional, and signs of wear detected demonstrate that this piece was used in every day life rather than solely for ceremonial use. The piece features a lovely green patination.

Measurements (Cheek-Pieces): L 11.5cm x W 1cm x H 12.8cm
Measurements (Mouthpiece): L 17.5cm x W 3.3cm

NB: Measurements are approximate.

Date: Circa 1000-600 BC
Provenance: From a collection formed in Paris in the 1990s.
Condition: Very good.

In stock

SKU: KW-75 Category: Tags: , , ,

Luristan craftsmen developed great skill in bronze working, producing some of the finest tools and weaponry then available. These include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, horse-fittings, as well as a smaller number of vessels. Craftsmen used advanced techniques to produce these bronze pieces which were mainly cast by using three major methods, open moulds, close moulds and lost wax castings. The prevalence and intricacy of horse depictions, as well as horse equipment, in Luristan bronzes implies a great significance of the animal in the culture. The manufacturers of the Luristan bronzes, though unknown, are widely understood to have been a nomadic people, and horses would have played a crucial role in almost every aspect of life, including transport, warfare, agriculture and religion.

To discover more about the Luristan Empire, please visit our relevant blog post: The Luristan Empire: Beauty of Bronze.

Weight 690.1 g
Dimensions L 17.5 x H 12.8 cm
Culture

Region

Metal

Reference: For a similar item,The Metropolitan Museum of Art, item 57.51.40a–c and for a similar animal finial,The Metropolitan Museum of Art, item 32.161.29

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