Luristan bronzes were bronzes unearthed from the Lorestan province, usually from burial context. These district bronze objects were made for a variety of functions including horse bits, axe heads, rings, bracelets, pendants and finials. The ornamentation that characterised these pieces include the free use of animal and demonic human forms. The production of these bronzes were attributed to peoples living in and around the Zagros Mountains in the late 2nd and early 1st millennia BC. Although the origins of these communities are enigmatic, they may have come from Caucasus. Luristan bronzes had appeared only sporadically until the 1920s when a Harsin farmer uncovered bronze objects in his fields. After this chance find, larger numbers of Luristan bronzes started turned up in the art market, collected by museums and private individuals.
To discover more about the Luristan Empire, please visit our relevant blog post: The Luristan Empire: The Beauty of Bronze.
