Top for standard

Unknown

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

In the early first millennium B.C., inhabitants of the mountainous region of western Iran known as Luristan manufactured an astonishing variety of bronze objects, including weapons, standards, jewelry, horse ornaments, and vessels, most of which have been recovered from cemeteries. The nature of the society and economy that produced these bronzes is not known with certainty but seems to have been predominantly nomadic. This standard top would have been joined to a pole or other support. It is not certain how such a standard would have been used, but it may be significant that this type of object has been found only in graves. The object depicts a scene of long-standing significance in ancient Near Eastern art, that of the "master of animals." The man holds in each hand the throat of a demonic creature, while human and bird heads appear below.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 8th century BCE

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Iran

Department

Ancient Near Eastern Art

Credit line

Gift of Laura White and Fred Randolph, 1996