Incredibly Fine Luristan Bronze Sword

$878.28

An extremely fine Luristan cast bronze sword featuring a long triangle-shaped double-edged blade and a prominent mid-rib which fades as it gets closer to the tip. The weapon is composed of a cylindrical-shaped hilt and crescent-shaped pommel. The blade appears enriched by a cast circle, which incorporates part of the raised midrib. The beauty and the refinement on such weapon suggest that the dagger might have been used in ceremonial and religious offices rather than in war or combat. Blades of this type are more commonly found in the territories of ancient Western Persia (modern Iran) and were used from the late Bronze Age onwards. The entire sword is covered in a beautiful bright green patination.

Date: Circa 1800-600 BC
Condition: Very fine, surface is covered in a bright green patination.

SOLD

SKU: CS-76 Category: Tag:

Luristan bronze comes from the province of Lorestan, a region situated in the area of modern South-Western Iran. In ancient times a number of nomadic populations, such as the Medes, the Kassites and eventually the Persians, 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 weapons 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 450 g
Dimensions L 41.8 cm
Culture

Region

Metal

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, item 60.82.1 .

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