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HOME :
Near Eastern Art :
Masterpieces : Luristan Bronze Bicephalous Horse Sculpture
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Luristan Bronze Bicephalous Horse Sculpture - FZ.072
Origin: Iran
Circa: 900
BC
to 700
BC
Dimensions:
3.75" (9.5cm) high
Catalogue: V1, V4
Collection: Near Eastern
Style: Luristan
Medium: Bronze
Location: United States
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| Description |
This beautiful object may once have been
worn as
an amulet, the double-headed horses
serving to
keep watch in both directions. The horse
was
domesticated in the Near East from the
third
millennium BC, and the profusion of
horse bronzes in Luristan speaks of its
important place in that
society. Such an amulet seems partly
whimsical,
partly mystical, a reflection of man's
love of this
noble creature.
Luristan (or Lorestan) literally means
“Land of the
Lurs”, and was situated in a wide sweep
of the
Zagros mountains in what is now western
Iran. The
sociopolitics of this area are complex,
with
repeated waves and invasions of Medes,
Cimmerians and Persians, amongst others,
but the
culture thus created is remarkable for
its superb
control of metalworking. There are many
styles,
but the best-known pieces of bronze from
this
area are anthropomorphic and zoomorphic
pieces
reflecting religious and secular tastes,
as well as
weaponry and utilitarian items that were
buried
with the deceased in tombs across the
Zagros
area. It was nonetheless viewed as a
precious
resource, and was used alongside iron
once this
metal became available, for while its
qualities of
hardness and durability were recognized,
it merely
made bronze a more socially exclusive
material.
The hallmark of Luristan wares is the
tendency to
elongate the necks, tails and bodies of
the animals
to produce graceful curves and arches.
The re-
discovery of the splendor of Luristan
metalwork
began in the 1930s and made considerable
progress after World War II. The absence
of
relevant written records makes their
complex
imagery difficult to interpret in
specific religious
terms but it is likely that they
represent local
deities of some kind. It has been
suggested that
such elaborate bronze items must have
been the
preserve of the tribal leaders, a
warrior class with
the means to equip themselves and their
households for war.
- (FZ.072)
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