Head of pin

Unknown

ca. 8th–7th century BCE · Bronze · Ancient Near Eastern Art

This is the head of a bronze pin in the form of three animal heads. The central element represents a duck’s head turned back onto its wings. The side elements are two long-necked animals, possible felines. They have squat snouts, large eyes, and long ears, all very stylized. This pinhead was excavated at Surkh Dum, a settlement site in Luristan in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. It was found in a structure interpreted as a sanctuary and was thus probably an offering to a god. Such pins were probably used to fasten clothing and as objects of adornment in their own right.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 8th–7th century BCE

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Iran

Department

Ancient Near Eastern Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1943