Luristan Bronze Spearhead with Rat-Tail Tang

£ 195.00

A Luristan cast bronze spearhead blade featuring a leaf-shaped double-edged blade with a raised mid-rib, and a substantial shank that flares into a square-section tail. This ‘rat-tail’ construction inserted into a wooden shaft reduced further splitting upon use. Spearheads of this type are more commonly found in the territories around the western Zagros Mountains and were used through the late Bronze Age into the Early Iron Age.

Date: Circa 1800-600 BC
Condition: Very fine condition with very minor chipping to the blade's edges as well as patination and soil encrustation to the surface.

In stock

SKU: HD-28 Category: Tag:

Luristan bronze comes from the province of Lorestan, a region situated in the Zagros Mountains. In ancient times a number of nomadic populations, such as the Medes and the Kassites, settled in the area. Due to the nomadic nature of the tribes, none of the Luristan bronzes were of great size, since it was required for them to be light and portable. Their artwork mainly comprises ornaments, vessels and weapons. Most of Luristan bronze items have been recovered in funerary contexts, suggesting that such weapons would have been used not only in everyday life but also with ceremonial purposes.

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

Weight 460 g
Dimensions L 30.7 x W 4.4 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, item number 61.261.2

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