Large Luristan Bronze Sword with Iron Blade

£ 700.00

An extremely fine Luristan sword featuring a cast bronze hilt and pommel attached to an iron blade. The cylindrical hilt, with three raised ribs, ends in a penannular guard with a crescent shaped pommel. The bronze is further enriched with incised lines and dots forming geometric patterns. The long iron blade has slightly tilted sides with a tapered end. The blade displays some corrosion due to the passing of time.

 

Date: Circa 1800-600 BC
Condition: Fine condition, signs of ageing on the blade.

SOLD

SKU: CS-269 Category: Tags: ,

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, 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 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 438.1 g
Dimensions L 44.6 cm
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Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, item number 66.31.3