The Luristan region of Western Iran is named
after the Lurs, a tribal people who raise horses
and cattle. However, in artistic circles, the name
Luristan is synonymous with the Bronze Age
culture that flourished on these lands many
centuries ago and left behind a fantastic
assortment of mysterious bronze sculptures and
horse trappings. Modern scholars date the
creation of these bronzes anywhere from as early
as the 12th Century B.C. until as late as the 7th
Century B.C. While it is thought that they were
produced during a relatively short time, this
theory has not been proven. Scholars also
debate who created these works. Some attribute
them to the Kassites while others believe they
were made by the Cimmerians, thus partly
explaining the discrepancies in dating. Of the
bronze artifacts that survive today, there are two
primary groups: horse trappings and standard
finials. The horse trappings and harness fittings
are likely the most famous type of Luristan work.
The other main type is the standard finial that
depicts a figure known as the “master of the
beasts.” This janus-headed figure who grapples
with interweaving beasts and serpents likely
represents a long forgotten deity. These
mythological horned monsters do not frighten,
but delight with their intricate details and highly
stylized forms; today, they are one of the
hallmarks of Luristan art.
This lovely bronze sculpture from Ancient
Luristan is related to the group of standard
finials although its form and function are slightly
different. Instead of the characteristic “master of
the beast” figure, here we see what might best
be described as a “mistress of the beasts.” She is
a solitary figure whose body conforms to the
shape of the tube. She cups her hands over her
breast, emphasizing her femininity and fertility.
While little of her lower body is articulated, her
vagina is clearly indicated, again to heighten the
sense of her fecundity. She takes the form of a
hollow tube into which a pole would have once
been inserted, perhaps to help identified a group
of warriors or a tribe on the field of battle.
Some scholars believe that these works may have
served as votive idols to be worshipped within
the private confines of the home. This theory
certainly appear to be more relevant to the
fertility imagery of this work.
- (X.0371)
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