Pin

Unknown

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

This is the head of a bronze pin in the form of an animal’s head. The animal has a square snout, incised nostrils and eyes, pointed ears and curved horns. The head is connected to the shaft of the pin with a baluster. This pin was excavated at Surkh Dum, a settlement site in Luristan in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. It was part of a large hoard of objects buried beneath a doorjamb in a structure interpreted as a sanctuary; thus the objects were probably offerings made for 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