Ancient Near East, Northwestern Iran, Luristan, ca. 1000 to 600 BCE. A rare example of a lost-wax cast bronze adze head with its cylindrical socket in the form of a snarling lion. The blade itself is flat and undecorated. Ancient Luristan was a series of parallel fertile valleys in northwestern Iran in the Zagros Mountains. The level of artistry displayed in their bronze work is much finer and more ornate than any of their contemporaries. This is all the more remarkable considering that there is a lack of native copper ores in that region, so Luristan must have been part of a wide trading network - and indeed, we know that they had contacts with the Kingdom of Elam, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia. Size: 3.55" W x 1.3" H (9 cm x 3.3 cm)

Provenance: private Everett, Massachusetts, USA collection, purchased from Artemis Gallery, November 22, 2017, lot 30; ex-private Stagecoach, Nevada, USA collection; ex-Arte Primitivo Gallery, New York, USA

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#182964

Smooth dark green and brown patina on surface of weapon, with very clear details remaining.