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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.
Gods and goddesses who control wild animals
are as old as civilization itself, perhaps reflecting
some innate human desire to rise above the
natural world. In this particularly splendid
example--in which the distinctions between
woman and beast are delightfully blurred--a
young goddess holds two rather mysterious
animals by their necks, while the lower half of
the finial takes the form of leopard haunches
with curling tails. This is an abstract image which
evokes a variety of emotions, most of them
mysterious, primal, older than memory.
- (FZ.073)
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